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    lined with hi& prafctiee © f kingcraft * in which he prided biimeif , laud the foundation of those troubles which produced aa . exptestau itt ttoe . n&xM reign . The tyrannical government of Charles I . occasioned & -. greater irtfeiv mixture of religion ami politics , tha

    Episcopal party siding generally with the Court , ar \ d thje frieikls , of Uberty with : >\ e Puritans ^ In the conflict that ensued , the King and the Church fell victims to one cotweioa cause , asd a Presbyterian Establishment arose upon the ruins . This new order of

    things , however , was but short-Uved , being replaced at the Restoration by the former Episcopacy . King Charles 11 . had long decided with his grandfather , that Presbyterianism was no *

    a fit religion for a gentlejaaaa , aftiiQUgh he had formerly swore t ^ maintain it : so that , dismissing with his oharacter- * istie politeness the frieads who . had brought him back * he at mice threw : himself into the arms of an order of

    men who gave him but little disturbance in his pleasures , and administered to all the political vices of hi * reign . Thus Episcopaey became e&ta-s bushed upon ai moire pernaaBent foot * iag than ever ; aad the laws which were enacted for its protection in this and some following leigns , together with other circumstances , such aa a

    monopoly of privilege , the decreased power of the crown , and the sentiment of society in its favour , have giv . en to it a stability which is not likely to be t&aken , excepting by some sudden national convulsion that shall involve both Church and State *

    The triumph of the Church of Efoglarul was the sigwJ . for the ruin of feer opponents ; but it wats , accom ^ p-lished gradually , and by other iue »* tiiads than those » he had prep ared for

    the purpose . That religions seets participate in the getfcer&l fluetuatiorts o £ sodyety ^ is a matter rather of history tfutn of specultUionu Tke ; Cfttises which produjce them besing less obvious , are liable to be uai « token ; and ,, as

    grefttor tenacity is u * u » lly bco % ^ ht to * bear upon religion ti \ nu upon other 3 ul > jecte , tbye avenue 3 to triith are nwr * rowed ftccordiqffly . A diight gfiaACQ at the history ot Noaacdnformity ii * i *» U convince any one tj ^ atie ha * under ^ cme materiudeiiAa ^ e ^ l > ofch in itfl internal < fcc * nomy tmd . m it « k pAlVticftl atiituikw It it uiagj eqik » Uy wident tkat tiu&ic

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    sOter ^ tioa ^ » ve In it a fa j but % > what uxeaaa they have beet teought about , n ^ ust be a subject of W \ 2 dau 3 inquiry to all these who feel any concern for its welfarela tile discussion of this question , it will be necessary to refer back to

    the reign of King Charles II ., when the relative condition of the two parties became essentially changed , a&d Id » manner finally decided At the period of the Restoration , the Nouconfornakts probubly oatnumbered their ad- » versjaries ; b « : t tto favoua ? e . Bd patron

    nage of the monajek soon reversed the balaace . The * ellgion ^ f thci Court will always influence that of the people ^ and draw withia its vortex themajority who nevcar thiak , as w « il a »

    Huoweirs who have private interests t& gratify . Whatever stimulates the suabition , feeds the avarice , or dazzles * the senses , comes with too powerful a > recomoaendation to be resisted by perso ^ l ^ who are not u-ader the inftuencer

    of religious motives ; and these always constitute the bulk of mankiad . The > Episcopaliaaa uow obtained a positionr ia the state which they had never be- * fore known , whilst the Presbyterian wore subjected t& penalties equally new and monstrous . Oaths and tests

    \ Mere iavented to exclude them not o * ily froax the churches , but also from ? the universities , the magistracy , and ingeaeral from all offices , eivil , ecde- » siastieal and military . The mon ^ aly thus ^ iren the fav oured tsecat haa su % important influence upon ihe , cause of Niwicoiifornait y , the eflSact o € which coi > tiiiues to tU present day .

    If we look at the relative character of the two parties , there ia no reason to suppose that the Nonconformists were- at all inferior to their advecsa- * ries . The mmisters generally had fcw ceived a liberal education 4 it one o £

    the universities , and wene not onky good scholars , but well versed ia an ^ eient aad modem literature * They were also pre-enainently distiugttkhe for an attention to their official duties , aad . c ill tivaied habits of personal piety *

    As for the people who attended upon their ministry , they were not mot oaly inrepcoachadrie ia their mm * conduct ^ b \\ t renaeFkable for thoiv { Hmctaal oteervance -of religious dun ti £ S ( $ and they p ^ Cieatly sn&ved lita f ^ pcoack of tihTOt wtow > itoitt jCO ^ form to a eh&ffoh wbach ttoy eoia&U

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    Th * JVanoQnfvrtnitf . No . XXVJI . 3 ^

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1823, page 343, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1785/page/31/