which they had promised to the high church zealots for their support. It was looked for in the preceding year, and as one whole session had been allowed to glide away without the measure being brought forward by the new ministry, they complained loudly of the tardiness of their friends. At last, to their astonishment, a peer, who had bid adieu to the tories, and gone over to the whigs, brings forward these devoted sheep to the altar, as if the sweet savour from the sacrifice of the dissenters' privileges was to be the reward of his apostasy. The whig lords felt a parental fondness for their convert, and almost unanimously supported the bill, so that the tories found it difficult to come in for any share of the credit of a measure, for which they had before laboured thrice in vain, and in which they had been opposed by a majority of peers, both spiritual and temporal, with success. How changed are their sentiments now, concerning the subject of religious liberty, while the cause remains precisely the same! When men act on expedients, and not from principles, nothing can be looked for but inconsistencies which degrade themselves, and plunge into ruin those who had the unhappiness to place dependence on them. By one such step public men lose their character, and with it their influence on the most virtuous part of society; and are ever afterwards viewed with suspicion by those who were before most strongly attached, as persons who are in pursuit of their own private interest, and not the public good. "I came to you alone," said Nottingham," but if I be successful in this affair, others will follow me." The whig lords sighed for their former honours; and in order to gratify those who might have it in their power to render them assistance, they

let the vengeance of the tories fall on the dissenters, and even stretched out their hands to help them to inflict the blow.

In three short days the bill passed the lords, and was transmitted to the commons, who in as short a time returned it, with the addition of a penalty of forty pounds on conviction of the offence of being at a conventicle, to be paid to the informer. Not to reprobate unprincipled conduct, and the wanton sacrifice of virtuous maxims to the hope of advancing political interests, especially when such conduct appears in the highest ranks of society, both in church and state, would be to abandon the cause both of God and man'. With what calmness do they ruin thousands of respectable families, and wring the hearts of multitudes with all the bitterness of the most poignant distress. From the revolution, great numbers of dissenters, conceiving themselves secured by the pledge of the English legislature in the toleration act entered into offices under goverment, were extensively employed, had acquired the habits of their station, and were unqualified for obtaining support in any other way. To ruin them all both tories and whigs join.

P Bishop Burnet, who was very zealous against the bill in the earlier part of this reign, and who takes a great deal of credit to himself for his opposition, and that of a majority of the bishops, relates the last agitation of the subject very briefly, and with a great deal of sang froid. How much tranquillity of mind, and philosophical calmness men display, when their neighbour's interests only are at stake. He concludes his account thus: "all the excuse that the whigs made for their easiness in this matter, was that they gave way to it, to try how far the yielding it might go towards quieting the fears of those who seemed to think the church was still in danger till the act passed; and thereby to engage them to concur with them in

The French and Dutch protestants petitioned to be heard against the bill, and to be exempted from its effects; but no attention was paid to their request. Application was made by the dissenters to Harley the treasurer, whose family was chiefly among the presbyterians, and who himself had lived in communion with them during the greater part of his life. But it was of no avail. Is it every day the statesman is to be found, whose religious principles make all political considerations submit to their dominion? While indignation is roused at the view of tyranny by the side of the throne, in the abandonment of virtuous maxims, political wisdom must condemn the narrow-minded policy of the rulers of a country, who deprive the community of the services of any one class of the people, and prevent men of superior talents, of tried integrity, and of extensive influence from bringing all these into action for the public benefit. May the time soon arrive, when a regard for the general welfare shall gain the ascendancy over the unreasonable prejudices of religious bigotry, and political party zeal. Is it not remarkable, that those who have argued most strenuously for the doctrine of restrictions, whether clergymen or laymen, and have been almost petrified with terror at the idea of persons of religious denominations different from their own being admitted to public offices, have never expressed any fears of danger from the admission of men who have no religion at all? Yet surely those who have no religious principles to urge them to duty,

those important matters which might come before them. It must be left for time to shew what good effect this act may have on the church, or what bad ones it may have on dissenters. Vol. II. p. 585-6. Surely men of high degree are a lye. Psa.

and restrain them from evil, must be the most injurious to the community, and may justly be considered as persons of whom every good man should entertain the greatest dread.

The degradation which the dissenters suffered from the bill, must have been felt by them all, as the grossest insult; and considered as an act of the most flagrant injustice to the body, by depriving them of the capacity of attaining situations and offices to which they had naturally an equal right with the rest of their fellow citizens. As to the measure of injury sustained, dissenters who were in places under government, and their families, and such as were educated with a view to the possession of them, had reason to complain that they were most cruelly treated. By the rest, however wickedly it was intended for their ruin, it might be converted into benefit. Those who will be contented to let others enjoy public offices of trust and profit, and will betake themselves to the employments of private social life, will have little reason to complain, Agriculture, trade, manufactures, and commerce present full scope to talents, and hold out to industry the most ample rewards. The independence too which they confer, leads to a satisfaction and dignity of mind, as well as to a comfort in outward circumstances, which no one, who estimates aright the true happiness of life, can expect to find in public situations. In most of these the rewards of labour are scanty, and far inferior to what the industrious man of business will attain and in others, where the emoluments are great, as it depends on the nod of a minister, or his dependents, to bestow, so the continuance depends on his good pleasure; and whenever he is offended, whether justly or not, he

can take them away. Sage experience teaches those who have served the longest apprenticeship to life, the wisdom of the woman who, when asked by the prophet, "Wilt thou be spoken of to the king, or to the captain of the host," made this answer: "I dwell among mine own people."

When the act against occasional conformity passed, the dissenters might naturally suppose that they had now felt the worst, especially as one of the clauses of the bill was," that the toleration should remain inviolable in all time to come." For surely, if truth were to be banished from the common intercourse of men, it ought to continue honoured in parliaments, in courts, and on thrones. Bitterly is it to be lamented when this is not the case: and it is painful for the historian to record the events of such a season of deep depravity. By the law which had been lately made, enough, it might be thought, was done for the full security of the church from the very shadow of danger. But something more was now found necessary: and the safety of the established religion, was made the stalking-horse to conceal the designs of the high-tory party in the state. The attachment of the dissenters to the principles of civil liberty, was found to be unalterable indeed it arose out of their principles; for to civil liberty they were indebted for their very existence in the country. On this account they were naturally led to side with the whigs, whose professions were in favour of the sentiments which they held. Rage filled the breasts of the tories, who knew their determined firmness; and as they could not hope to gain them to their side, they were resolved to crush them by successive measures, which, while