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Whatever refpect may be entertained for the character of BAXTER, as a ftrenuous maintainer of the peculiar doctrines of Christianity, (and in that character he is doubtless entitled to refpect) nothing, it is presumed, can be faid in favour either of his political principles, or his bigoted prejudices against the church of England; of which not one of those venerable perfons above-mentioned would, I conceive, have admitted him to have been a pillar, or an ornament. In fact, when BAXTER flourified, the church in this country, according to the idea here formed of it, was in a notorious ftate of perfecution. The religion which at that time enjoyed the national fupport, was the religion of non-conformists; of those who, having separated from the church, destroyed its government, plundered, and in many cases murdered, its minifters. The church establishment, therefore, at that time, if we pass over the impropriety of the term, was of a piece with that of the ftate; it was an ufurpation of rights, of which the legal poffeffors bad been forcibly deprived.

What our author fays, therefore, in a note, (pages 379 and 380) that "BAXTER with his brethren were fhamefully ejected from the church in 1666, in violation of the royal word, as well as of the clear

principles of justice," is what will not be readily admitted by those who are acquainted with the history of the times, or the state of facts.

The clear principles of justice require, that the parties who have fuffered injury, should receive the earliest poffible redrefs. Had these principles prevailed at the Reftoration, the ejection of non-conformift minifters from the patrimony of the church, in favour of the epifcopal clergy, to whom the rightful poffeffion belonged must have been the immediate confequence of the re-establishment of the conftitution. But fo far was this from being the cafe, that two years were fuffered to elapse, before any legal methods were taken to difpoffefs them. To the credit of the then government, fuch refpect was entertained for the spiritual characters and abilities

of many of the then ministers, that all the means of argument and perfuafion were made ufe of to retain them in the church. And it was not till a determined perfeverance in their prejudices against the form and government of the church, as it was then re-established, rendered hopeless all accommodation upon the fubject, that their rejection was fuffered finally to take place. So that inftead of faying, they "were fhamefully ejected from the church in 1666, in violation of

the clear principles of justice," it should be faid, that these ministers ejected themselves, because they would not continue in the church upon any other condition, than that of its being fashioned after their own model.

Nor does the charge refpecting the violation of the royal word, upon this occafion, appear to be strictly juftified by facts.

When a perfon does every thing that poffibly can be done in his fituation, towards the fulfilment of any promife, he ought not, in charity, to be made chargeable with its violation.

The King, in his declaration at Breda, promised liberty to tender confciences; and that no man should be difquieted, or called in queftion, for difference of opinion in matters of religion, which did not disturb the peace of the kingdom; and that he would confent to fuch an Act of Parliament, as, upon mature deliberation, should be offered to him for the full granting that indulgence. When the non-conformist divines afterwards waited on the King at the Hague, he told them, that he referred the fettling all differences refpecting religion to the wifdom of Parliament; that the two Houses were the best judges what indulgence, or toleration, were neceffary for the repofe

the kingdom. The King, therefore, by concurring

with his Parliament in this business, acted up to the full meaning of his declarations. But he did more than this. So difpofed was he to do every thing to gratify the non-conformifts, that could be done confiftent with the re-establishment of the epifcopal church, that he even acted without his Parliament upon this occafion; by publishing, with the advice of his Privy Council only, a declaration of indulgence in their favour; which the preffing and repeated remonftrance of the Commons obliged him afterwards to recal.

Though the King did therefore, immediately on his restoration, promife, that non-conformist ministers fhould not be ejected from fequeftered livings, where the epifcopal incumbents were dead; in confequence of which many remained in quiet poffeffion of their preferments; yet this promise cannot be faid to have been violated, because the Act of Uniformity, which paffed two years after, obliged those who still retained their prejudices against the form and government of the church, to retire out of it. And when it is confidered upon what ground this Act was brought forward; that it was judged neceffary, in confequence of the non-conformist divines returning to their old feditious practice of inveighing against Government; and taking advantage of their public office, to bring

the minds of the people back to those fatal errors, which had already proved so destructive; the paffing it may be confidered, not so much a breach of promise on the part of the King, as an act of prudential provision for public peace on the part of the Government.

That fuch was the cafe, may be concluded from the speech which the Chancellor made at the opening of the Parliamentby which this Act was paffed; when speaking of the feditious preachers of the day, he fays, "that instead of repenting of any thing they had done amifs, they repeated every day the fame crimes, for the oblivion whereof the Act of Indemnity was paffed. These (fays he) are the feditious preachers who cannot be contented to be dispensed with for their full obedience to fome laws established, without reproaching and inveighing against thofe laws how established foever; who tell their auditories, that the Apostle meant, when he bid them ftand to their liberties, that they should stand to their arms; and who, by repeating the very expreffions, and teaching the very doctrines they fet on foot in the year 1640, fufficiently declare, that they have no mind that twenty years fhould put an end to the miferies we have undergone. What good Chriftian can think without horror of these minifters of the Gofpel, who by their

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