multiplicity of obfcure and complex propofitions, upon the truth or falfehood of which it is not at all reasonable, but on the contrary moft abfurd, to expect a youth of common capacity and attainments at his entrance into the church to be qualified to decide. It must be confeffed that the petition in queftion bore ftrong marks of crudeness and precipitation. It cannot be doubted but that a very great majority of the most intelligent and refpectable of the clergy fecretly joined in the prayer of the petition; and if the tone of its allegations had been lowered, if judicious measures had been adopted to conciliate the minds of the fuperior clergy, if fufficient time had been taken to mature and digeft the plan of the application, and a period chofen more favorable to its fuccess, it could scarcely have failed to have been attended with confiderable effect; but no prudential pre cautions being taken to give weight and respectability to this application, it bore in the view of the public at large the appearance of a rafh and abortive attempt,

In the courfe of the debate which took place on this petition, it was repeatedly and unrefervedly declared by the moft refpectable of its opponents, that though they could not confent to alter the terms of admiffion into the established church, the cafe was very different with respect to the diffenting clergy, who were entitled to the benefits of the act of toleration only on the hard and abfurd condition of fubfcribing to the articles of the established church-thofe relative to ecclefiaftical difcipline only excepted. It is true, indeed, that at the time the act of toleration passed, the diffenting clergy, being univerfally calvinifts, made no difficulty of fubfcribing to the doctrinal articles of the church of England; but, in the long fucceffion of years which had elapfed fince that period, a great proportion of them had embraced fentiments in theology very different from the system of their forefathers. The act of toleration, therefore, was no act of toleration to them. Others alfo had adopted a novel refinement in religion, that it was unlawful

to

to subscribe any human declaration or formulary of faith, howevever confonant to truth, at the requifition of the civil magiftrate, as being a tacit admiffion of his authority to impose it. This notion, however falfe or fanciful, as effectually precluded them from the benefits of the toleration as if they had actually rejected every article of the national creed. It is no wonder therefore that the diffenting minifters eagerly embraced fo favorable and inviting an opportunity of obtaining a redress of this great grievance.

On a motion fubfequently made by Sir George Savile, member for the county of York, a man eminent in every fpecies of excellence by which human nature can be adorned or dignified, and feconded by Sir Henry Houghton, leave was given to bring in a bill for that purpose. The bill itself was received by the house with great approbation, and even applaufe. Many of those who contended most ftrenuously against granting relief to the clergy, diftinguished themselves by the ardor with which they supported a claim thus respectfully fubmitted to the legislature; and fo evidently founded on the cleareft principles of equity and juftice, that it might have appeared previously difficult to conjecture by what fort of arguments it could poffibly be opposed. But there is perhaps no cause however wretched, no pofition however abfurd and pernicious, in vindication of which the wit of man is not able to devise something fpecious and plaufible. In the present cafe it was affirmed by the zealous Tories and high-churchmen in the house, that a total exemption from fubfcription would open the door for fuch an inundation of enthusiasm, absurdity, and extravagance into the chriftian church, as would equally deface and deform it-that when this restraint was removed, arians, focinians, deifts, and profane fcoffers of all denominations, would not hesitate from the pulpit to undermine, ridicule, and attack the principles of the chriftian religion, and perhaps even to deny the divinity of its author. They faid, that however refpectable the diffenters might be reprefented

P. 2

presented by the advocates of this bill, the members of the establishment were certainly not lefs fo; and being far more numerous, their interefts ought to be taken into confideration as claiming the prior and fuperior regard of the legiflature. This they faid was an act not so much for the relief as the encouragement of the diffenters, and it had a direct tendency to weaken and destroy the church of England by the countenance it gave to a republican religion, which had been at all times the fworn foe to monarchy. It was farther faid that the act of toleration was intended only for the relief of those who agreed with the church in thirty-five articles and a half, which contained the effentials of her faith; and that those who now apply for relief are a new defcription of men, not in the contemplation of the framers of the act, and unknown to the law. They afferted, that though by their refufal to comply with the terms prefcribed by the act they had become obnoxious to punishment, yet that the penal laws exifted only in terrorem, and were rarely enforced-that the lenity of the executive power made the proposed relief wholly unneceffary, for it was well known that a great majority of the perfons for whom this relief was intended live in eafe and fecurity under this connivance. Why then trouble the legiflature with their complaints? or expect the government not merely to excufe but to justify their neglects and omiffions, and to authorise their breach of one law by paffing another, in order to fecure to them impunity in reward of their perverfenefs and temerity?

There are perfons whofe understandings are naturally fo obtufe, or, what is ftill worfe, whose reasoning faculties are fo darkened by the prevalence of paffion and the habitual force of prejudice, that arguments, however demonftrative, make as little impreffion upon their minds, as the beams of the meridian fun on the eternal fnows that invelop the pole. In vain was it urged, in oppofition to this clafs of men, on the prefeat occafion, "That it was no longer à fpeculative

queftion,

question, whether toleration was a principle beneficial or injurious to the community;-the experiment had been actually made, and it had been attended with the happiest fuccefs, No fuch hardship, as was now fuffered by the perfons whom this bill was framed to relieve, was intended by the act of toleration, which required nothing more' to the participation of its advantages, than the parties concerned were at the time perfectly willing to comply with. But the fact was, that by a gradual and unforeseen change of circumstances the operation of the act was weakened and impeded: but it could not be pretended that the principle, which under the reign of king William rendered it juft and beneficial to tolerate, had fuffered any change. The diversity of theological creeds was of no importance to the state; and the SPIRIT of the ACT of TOLERATION plainly required, that the protection of the state should be extended to all its members, whatever might be their religious opinions, fo long as they fulfilled all the duties of good citizens and subjects-That the very idea of toleration implied difference of opinion; and to profefs to tolerate thofe only who believe as we believe, is farcical and ridiculous-That the interefts of the church itfelf were advanced by toleration; for experience fufficiently evinced, that religious fects flourished under every species of perfecution which stopped short of abfolute extermination— That as to the mifchiefs fo much deplored and fo terrifically defcribed as the confequence of the removal of all restraint, the examples of Ireland and Scotland, where no fuch condition was annexed to toleration, not to advert to the examples of Holland or Switzerland, fhewed how weak and groundlefs were fuch terrors-That truth wanted not the fanction of penal laws; but if nevertheless truths fuppofed effential to christianity were attacked, there were laws in exiftence to which those who were of opinion that christianity ought to be fo defended might have recourfe. To all that had been advanced refpecting the lenity of the executive government, and the connivance of the ftate, it was ceopgh to reply,

that

that the application now made was not a petition for favor or indulgence, but it was an appeal to the equity and justice of the ftate; that it could not be refused without violating those inherent and unalienable rights over which no human power had cognizance or jurifdiction;-that these rights were too facred to be held at the caprice of a court, or the discretion of a judge;—that the penal laws, though dormant, might be at any time awakened into action by the malice, the avarice, or the revenge of individuals;-that were the lenity of the executive government fuch as had been reprefented, it would doubtless be eager to embrace fo favourable an opportunity of establishing, by law, what it had hitherto been unable to confer otherwise than as a grace;-that the lenity of the ruling powers was the very reafon for bringing forward this claim, for it would certainly be fruitless and abfurd to apply for relief and fecurity when an inimical difpofition on the part of government was previously known to exift. If nothing of real perfecution is intended, why fufpend the sword by a single hair over their heads?-As to the charge of republicanism, as alleged against the diffenters, it was declared to be equally futile and unjuft. The original opposition to the measures of the court in the reign of Charles I. was highly laudable; and the unjuftifiable lengths to which that oppofition was carried, were to be ascribed to the military and defpotic violence of comparatively a few individuals. The ancestors of the prefent race of diffenters had a diftinguished fhare in the restoration of king Charles II.; and the uniform tenor of their conduct fince the æra of the revolution plainly proved them to be as loyal and obedient to just princes, who made the law the rule of their governmentas they had been firm and refolute in their oppofition to tyrants, who aimed at the fubverfion of the conftitution. Not to mention the abfurdity and injuftice of punishing any clafs or defcription of men now exifting for the fuppofed crimes and errors of a former generation, who had been more than a century in their graves."