rishes. Injunctions were sent out from several of the bishops, under the seal of their offices, requiring all churchwardens to present such as did not repair to church, nor receive the sacrament at Easter; which were read publicly in the churches of Hertfordshire, Essex, &c. And the juries at the assizes gave it as their opinion, that the dissenters should be effectually prosecuted; but the scandalous villanies and perjuries of the informers made wise men abhor the trade; however, so terrible were the times, that many families and ministers removed with their effects to NewEngland, and other plantations in America; among whom we may reckon the reverend and worthy Mr. Samuel Lee, the ejected minister of Bishopgate, who in his return to his flock, after the Revolution, was made prisoner by the French, and carried to St. Maloes, where he perished in a dungeon, under the hands of those whose tender mercies are cruel.* Many ministers were fined and imprisoned, and great numbers of their most substantial hearers cited into the commons, their names being fixed upon the doors of their parish-churches; and if they did not appear, an excommunication and a capias followed, unless they found means, by presents of wine, by gold in the fingers of a pair of gloves, or some effectual bribe, to get themselves excused; for which, among others, the name of Dr. Pinfold is famous to this day.

The dissenters continued to take the most prudent measures to cover their private meetings from their adversaries. They assembled in small numbers--they frequently shifted their places of worship, and met together late in the evenings, or early in the mornings-there were friends without doors, always on the watch to give notice of approaching danger-when the dwellings of dissenters joined, they made windows or holes in the walls, that the preacher's voice might be heard in two or three houses they had sometimes private passages from one house to another, and trap doors for the escape of the minister, who went always in disguise, except when he was discharging his office-in country-towns and villages, they were admitted through

* Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. 1. p. 95, 96.

+ Dr. Pinfold was a gentleman of the long robe, and was the king's advocate in the prosecution of bishop Compton. But though he stood at the chancellor's elbow and took notes, while the bishop's counsel were pleading, he said nothing by way of reply. Bishop Compton's Life. p. 37.-ED.

backyards and gardens into the house, to avoid the observation of neighbours and passengers-for the same reason they never sung psalms-and the minister was placed in such an inward part of the house, that his voice might not be heard in the streets-the doors were always locked, and a sentinel placed near them to give the alarm, that the preacher might escape by some private passage, with as many of the congregation as could avoid the informers. But notwithstanding all their precautions, spies and false brethren crept in among them in disguise, their assemblies were frequently interrupted, and great sums of money raised by fines or compositions, to the discouragement of trade and industry, and enriching the officers of the spiritual courts.

Thus were the Nonconformists ground between the Papists on the one hand, and the high-church clergy on the other; while the former made their advantage of the latter, concluding, that when the dissenters were destroyed, or thoroughly exasperated, and the clergy divided among themselves, they should be a match for the hierarchy, and capable of establishing that religion they had been so long aiming to introduce. With this view, swarms of Jesuits and regular priests were sent for from abroad; Jesuits' schools, and other seminaries, were opened in London and the country; mass-houses were erected in the most considerable towns; four Roman-Catholic bishops were consecrated in the royal chapel, and exercised their functions under the character of vicars apostolical; their regular clergy appeared at Whitehall and St. James's in their habits, and were unwearied in their attempts to seduce the common people. The way to preferment was to be a Catholic, or to declare for the prerogative; all state-affairs being managed by such men. An open correspondence was held with Rome, and many pamphlets were dispersed, to make proselytes to the Romish faith, or at least to effect a coalition. Multitudes of the king's subjects frequented the Popish chapels; some changed their profession; and all men were forbid to speak disrespectfully of the king's religion.

At length the eyes of many of the clergy began to be opened, and they judged it necessary to preach against the Popish doctrines, that they might recover the people who were deserting in numbers, and rescue the Protestant religion from the danger into which their own follies had brought

it. The king being acquainted with this, by the advice of his priests sent circular letters to the bishops, with an order, prohibiting the inferior clergy from preaching on the controverted points of religion; which many complained of, though it was no more than king James and Charles I. had done before. However, when their mouths were stopped in the pulpit, some of the most learned and zealous agreed to fight the Catholics with their own weapons, and to publish small pamphlets for the benefit of the vulgar, in defence of the Protestant doctrines. When a Popish pamphlet was in the press, they made interest with the workmen, and got the sheets as they were wrought off, so that an answer was ready as soon as the pamphlet was published. There was hardly a week in which some sermon or small treatise against Popery was not printed and dispersed among the common people; which, in the compass of a year or two, produced a valuable set of controversial writings against the errors of that church.* The chief writers were, Dr. Tillotson, Stillingfleet, Tenison, Patrick, Wake, Whitby, Sharp, Atterbury, Williams, Aldrich, Burnet, Fowler, &c.+ men of great name and renown, who gained immortal honour, and were afterward advanced to the highest dignities in the church. Never was a bad cause more weakly managed by the Papists, nor a more complete victory obtained by the Protestants.

But the church-party, not content with their triumph, have of late censured the Nonconformists, for appearing only as spectators, and not joining them in the combat. But how could the clergy expect this from a set of men whom they had been persecuting for above twenty years, and who had the yoke of oppression still lying on their necks? Had not the Nonconformists been beforehand with them in their morning exercises against Popery? And did not Dr. Owen, Mr. Pool, Baxter, Clarkson, and others, write against the errors of the church of Rome, throughout the whole reign of king Charles II.? Had not the Nonconformists stood in the gap, and exposed themselves sufficient

A vast collection of these pieces was published about fifty years ago, in three volumes folio, under the direction of Dr. Gibson bishop of London. But this contained only a part of the tracts written by the Protestauts: and even the catalogues of them drawn up by Dr. Wake, Dr. Gee, and Mr. Francis Peck, were defective in the titles of them. Birch's Life of Archbishop Tillotson, p. 127.--ED.

+ Burnet, vol. 3. p. 79, 80. Edin. edit.

Calamy, p. 373; and Peirce's Vindication, p. 266.

ly to the resentments of the Papists, for refusing to come into their measures for a universal toleration, in which they might have been included? Besides, the poor ministers were hardly crept out of corners, their papers had been rifled, and their books sold or secreted, to avoid seizure; they had little time to study, and therefore might not be so well prepared for the argument, as those who had lived in ease and security. Farther, the church-party was most nearly concerned, the Nonconformists having nothing to lose, whereas all the emoluments of the church were at stake; and after all, some of the dissenters did write; and, if we may believe Dr. Calamy, Mr. Baxter, and others, their tracts being thought too warm, were refused to be licensed.* Upon the whole, bishop Burnet wisely observes,† that as the dissenters would not engage on the side of Popery and the prerogative, nor appear for taking off the tests in the present circumstances; so, on the other hand, they were unwilling to provoke the king, who had lately given them hopes of liberty, lest he should make up matters upon any terms with the church-party, at their expense; nor would they provoke the church-party, or by any ill behaviour drive them into a reconciliation with the court; therefore they resolved to let the points of controversy alone, and leave

A licence was refused to a discourse against the whole system of Popery, drawn up by the learned Mr. Jonathan Hanmer, who was ejected from Bishops-Tawton in Devon. A discourse against transubstantiation, written by Mr. Henry Pendlebury, ejected from Holcomb chapel in Lancashire, and afterward published by archbishop Tillotson, met with the like refusal. Au offer that Mr. Baxter would produce a piece against Popery every month, if a licence might be had, was rejected with scorn. And Mr. Jane, the bishop of London's chaplain, denied his sanction to a piece he actually drew up on the church's visibility. But in opposition to what Mr. Neal says above concerning this point, Dr. Grey, it is but justice to observe, gives us letters from Dr. Isham, Dr. Alston, Dr. Batteley, and Mr. Needham, licensers of the press, declaring that they never refused to license a book, because written by a dissenter; and that they did not recollect that any tract, of which a dissenter was the author, was brought to them for their sanction. As to Mr. Baxter, in particular Dr. Isham avers, that he never obstructed his writing against Popery, but licensed one of his books: "and if he had prepared any thing against the common enemy (says Dr. Isham), without striking abliquely at our church, I would certainly have forwarded them from the press.' It is to be added, that one piece from the pen of Mr. Hanmer had the imprimatur of Dr. Jane. There authorities appear to contradict each other: but it is, probably, not only a candid, but just method of reconciling them, and preserving our opinion of the veracity of both parties, that the tracts to which a licence was refused, were not offered to the gentlemen whose letters Dr. Grey quotes; but to Dr. Jane, or other licensers, with whose declarations we are not furnished. Bennet's Memorial, p. 399, 400, second edition. Baxter's History of his own Life, part 3. p. 183, folio. Palmer's Nonconformists' Memorial, vol. 1. p. 342. Dr. Grey, vol. 2. p. 424-432. The matter was, I understand, discussed by Mr. Tong, in his defence of Mr. Henry's Notion of Schisin.-ED.

+ P. 121, 122.

them to the management of the clergy, who had a legal bottom to support them.

The clergy's writing thus warmly against Popery broke all measures between the king and the church of England, and made each party court that body of men for their auxiliaries, whom they had been persecuting and destroying for so many years. His majesty now resolved to introduce a universal toleration in despite of the church, and at their expense.* The cruelty of the church of England was his common subject of discourse; he reproached them for their violent persecutions of the dissenters, and said he had intended to set on foot a toleration sooner, but that he was restrained by some of them who had treated with him, and had undertaken to shew favour to the Papists, provided they might be still suffered to vex the dissenters; and he named the very men, though they thought fit afterward to deny it how far the fact is probable must be left with the reader.

It being thought impracticable to obtain a legal toleration in the present circumstances of the nation, his majesty determined to attempt it by the dispensing power; for this purpose sir Edward Hales, a Popish gentleman of Kent, was brought to trial for breaking through the test-act, when sir Edward Herbert, lord-chief-justice, gave judgment in his favour, and declared the powers of the crown to be absolute. The other judges were closeted, and such displaced as were of a different sentiment; and the king being resolved to have twelve judges of his own opinion, four had their quietus, and as many new ones were advanced, from whom the king exacted a promise to support the prerogative in all its branches. There was a new call of serjeants, who gave rings with this motto, DEUS, REX, LEX, God, the king, and the law; the king being placed before the law. The privy-council was new modelled, and several declared Papists admitted into it; two confiding clergymen were promoted to bishopricks. Parker to Oxford, and Cart

+ Ibid. p. 73, 74.

Burnet, p. 140. Lord-chief-justice Jones, one of the displaced judges, upon his dismission, observed to the king, "that he was by no means sorry that he was laid aside, old and worn out as he was in his service; but concerned that his majesty should expect such a construction of the law from him as he could not honestly give; and that none but indigent, ignorant, or ambitious men would give their judgment as he expected." To this the king replied, "It was necessary his judges should be all of one mind." Memoirs of Sir John Reresby, p. 233.-Ed.