· design of Providence, when the Norman injured the political interests of our island. dynasty became possessed of the throne? But that it should, just at that time, he A far more important reformation, than that brought into such circumstances, as should of human laws, or political systems, was at ensure its participation in all the mental aclength to take place. And in this great ec- quirements, of the neighbouring countries, clesiastical revolution, England was intend- appears evidently to bespeak the same sued to act a conspicuous part. For this, even perintendence, as in the instances already these preparatory steps would be necessary. noticed. And may we not clearly trace such steps It is, however, in the great event of the from the epoch of which we are speaking? English reformation, that we perceive, as The encroachments of the papal see had, till has been already observed,* the most strithen, been comparatively little felt in Eng-king marks of divine direction; and it seems land. But the Norman princes introduced to discover to us, why it has pleased God to foreign bishops, who exercised in the church distinguish us by so many previous instances as galling a dominion, as that of their royal of favour. We were not only to be blessed patrons in the state. The consciences of with the light of truth ourselves, but we men,' says Sir William Blackstone, were were to be in some sort, a city set upon a enslaved by sour ecclesiastics, devoted to a hill. The peculiar temperament of the foreign power and unconnected with the English protestant establishment, which placivil state under which they lived; who now ces it in a kind of middle line between the imported from Rome, for the first time, the churches of the continent, has been also no whole farrago of superstitious novelties, ticed in a former chapter. But is it not eviwhich had been engendered by the blindness dent, that our national church, humanly and corruption of the times, between the speaking derived that temperament from a first mission of Augustine the monk, and the previously formed national character? The Norman conquest. English,' says Voltaire, into whom nature Had these pernicious practices been grad- has infused a spirit of independence, adoptually and insensibly introduced, as they were ed the opinions of the reformers, but mitigain most countries on the continent, they ted them, and composed from them a religion would have been inevitably combined with peculiar to themselves.' It is seldom that, the common habits of the people. But being on such a subject, this acute but most perthus suddenly and forcibly imposed, in con- verted pen has so justly described the fact. junction too with such a mass of political But, what a striking testimony is this, not grievances, their almost necessary tendency only to the worth of that national character, was to excite a spirit of resistance. We ac- which thus distinguished itself from the whole cordingly find, that in every advance which Christian world, but also to the depth of that was made towards regaining a free govern- Divine wisdom, which made so many remote ment, a conquest was gained over some in- and unconnected contingences work togethstances of ecclesiastical as well as of politi-er in producing so valuable a result! cal tyranny; than which, what more effec- In establishing a religion, which is foundtual course could the most sagacious fore-ed on truth, and which consists essentially in sight have pursued, for rousing the national the love of God and man, what more suitamind from the dead drowsiness of superstition, and preparing it to give a cordial reception to that light of religious truth, which, when the proper season should arrive, was to beam forth with peculiar brightness on this favoured country? ble dispositions could there be provided, than an independent spirit and a mitigating lemper? That both these were eminently exemplified by our venerable reformers, need not here be proved. Nor is it necessary to enlarge upon the obvious tendency of the But it is not only in its encroachments and English laws and constitution, to form such severities that we are to regard the Norman dispositions in those who lived within their government as an instrument of Providence. influence. If this tendency were doubtful, It, doubtless, was the means of much direct a striking fact in aftertimes might serve to and positive good. The minds of English- illustrate it. I mean, that steady zeal with men needed improvement, still more than which all the great constitutional lawyers, their civil constitution. Alfred had attemp- during the agitations of the seventeenth cented to sow the seeds of learning, as well as tury, endeavoured to preserve to the Engof jurisprudence, amongst his countrymen; lish church establishment that very temperbut to inspire a barbarous people with a love ament, which had so happily entered into its of literature, was what neither he nor his first formation. Nor can we pass over the master, Charlemagne, was able in any great care which was taken, in the very occurdegree to accomplish. An advance of gen-rences of the reformation, for adapting it to eral civilization was necessary to strike out the independent spirit of the English, and such a disposition; and it was not until to- also for perpetuating, in the establishment itward the beginning of the 12th century, that self, that mild and mitigating temper which any part of Western Europe appeared to had influenced its first founders. have been visited with the dawn of an intellectual day. A connexion, therefore, with the continent previously to that period, could not have served the moral, and might have * Blackstone's Commentaries, vol. iv. last chap. It was indispensable that the change in the church establishment should be accomplished by the paramount powers of the state; they *Chap. xxxv. Siecle de Louis XIV. chap. xxxii. alone being either legally, or naturally competent. But no act of a king or council, or even of a parliament, was adequate to effect in the minds of the English public, that rational and cordial acquiescence in the new state of things, without which it must have been inefficient, as to influence, and insecure as to duration. But for this, Providence itself made admirable provision. The pious and amiable Edward was kept upon the throne, until all that was necessary to be done, in an external and political way had been effected.Then, for a time, the old system was permitted to return, with all its horrible accompaniments, in order, as it should seem, that the protestant church of England might not rest upon human laws alone, but might appear to have originated in the same essential principles with those of the apostolic church, and to have been constituted by men of a like spirit, who, when called to it, were similarly prepared to seal their testimony with their blood. may ascribe to divine Providence the permission of evil, in order to greater good, without sanctioning any maxim, revolting in theory, or dangerous in practice. CHAP. XXXIX. The same subject continued. Tolerant spirit of the church. Circumstances which led to the revolution-And to the providential succession of the house of Hanover. THE Circumstances attending the reformation, which has been most regretted, was, that a portion of the protestants were dissatisfied with it, as not coming up to the extent of their ideas; and that this laid the foundation of a system of dissent, which broke the uniformity of public worship, and led, at length, to a temporary overthrow, both of the ecclesiastical and civil constitution. On these events, as human transactions. our subject does not lead us to enlarge. If the above remarks, with those in a foregoing The service that these illustrious men had chapter, on the peculiar characters of the done, by their temperate wisdom, and admi- English establishment be just, these persons, rable judgment, in the reign of Edward, in however conscientious, were opposing, withcompiling such a liturgy, and establishing out being aware of it, an institution which, such a worship, and such a form of doctrine, from its excellent tendency and effects, is ever to be held in grateful remembrance. seems to have been sanctioned by ProviBut their passive virtue, their primitive he- dence. But may not even their opposition, roism, in patiently, and even joyfully dying and subsequent dissent, be considered in the for those truths which they had conscien- same light as those other transactions, which tionsly adopted; this it was which establish- have been mentioned; that is, as permitted ed protestantism in the hearts of the English by the all-wise Disposer, in order to benefipopulace! They saw the infernal cruelty of cial results, which could not in the nature of the popish leaders, and the calm magnanim- things, according to our conception, have ity of the protestant martyrs. They saw been equally produced through any other inthese holy men, whose connexion with secu- strumentality? For example: did it not lar politics might be thought to have cor- supply the aptest means, which we can conrupted them, and whose high station in soci- ceive, for answering the important purpose, ety might be supposed to have enervated which was mentioned above-the perpetuathem, facing death in its most dreadful form, ting in the establishment itself, that mild and with more than human tranquillity! They mitigating temper, which had so signally insaw all this, and the impression made upon fluenced its first founders. them was like that which was made on the If Christian virtue be, in every instance, Israelites at Mount Carmel, by the event of the result, and the reward, of conflict; and the memorable contest between the priests if each virtue be formed, as it were, out of Baal, and the prophets of the Lord. Ac- of the ruins of the opposite vice; then may cordingly, on the death of Mary, the acces- we not deem it morally certain, that a Chris sion of Elizabeth excited universal joy.-- tian community, which God delighted to The acquiescence of the people in the chan- honour,' should, as well as individuals, have ges made by Henry, and even by Edward, an opportunity suitable to its circumstances, were little more than acts of necessity, and of not being overcome of evil,' but of overtherefore implied no revolution in the gen- coming evil with good? And would it not, eral opinion But now it was evinced, by therefore, appear probable that, though it every possible proof, that a thorough detesta- should possess that political strength, and tion of popery had extended itself through that portion of outward dignity, which might the whole community. Were we to adopt.' be necessary to its efficiency as a national says Goldsmith, the maxim of the catho- establishment, it should also have some oplics, that evil may be done for the produc- position to encounter, some trials to sustain, tion of good, one might say, that the perse- some calumnies to surmount, some injuries cutions in Mary's reign were permitted only to forgive? Would not such circumstances to bring the kingdom over to the protestant strengthen its claim to being deemed an inreligion. The people had formerly been tegral part of the church militant? and would compelled to embrace it, and their fears in- they not fit it for answering all the purposes duced them to conform, but now almost the of a Christian establishment, far better than whole nation were protestants from inclina- if it had possessed that exclusive ascendency, tion. Nothing can surely be more just than which should leave no room for the exercise the substance of this sentiment The lively of passive, and almost supersede the necessity writer seems only to have forgotten that we even of active virtue? That the schism, of which we speak, was be accomplished in a state of religious liberty. permitted by Providence, for some such pur- In too many other Christian countries, the pose as that just described, appears probable, established religion has appeared to rest enfrom the agreement of such an intention tirely upon a political foundation. In conwith that wise and temperate plan by which sequence of this, men of lively talents have the reformation had been effected; from the too generally, in such countries, become inobvious consistency of providing for the con- fidels In England, the tolerant nature of tinuance of that moderate and mitigating the church establishment, in honourably temper of the first reformers; and, above all, maintaining, and giving the highest reverbecause it is evident that the event in ques- ence to a national form of worship, but altion has actually answered this valuable pur-lowing individuals their unrestrained choice, pose; the most eminent divines of our church having been generally as much distinguished for candour towards those who differed from them, as for ability and firmness in maintaining their own more enlarged mode of conduct. That they could not have so fully manifested these amiable and truly Christian qualities, in a state of things where there was nothing to call them forth, is self-evident; and it is almost as certain, that even their possession of such virtues must depend upon their having had motives to exercise them. We accordingly perceive, in the lives and writings of the great luminaries of our church, not only a happy prevalence of liberal principles, and charitable feelings, but also the very process, if we may so speak, by which these principles and feelings were formed. From having continually in their view a set of persons, who had substantially the same faith, yet differed in modes of worship, we see them acquiring a peculiar habit of distinguishing between the ess ntials and circumstantials of religion. Their judgment becomes strong, as their charity becomes enlarged, and above all other divines, perhaps, they investigate religion as philosophers, without injury to the humility of their faith, or the fervency of their devotion. In almost every other communion (though with some adinirable exceptions) deep contemplative piety often appears associated with some sentiment or practice, which is apt to abate our estimation of the rationality of the party, or if rationality be preserved, there is too often some diminution of the pious affections. And what proves, that, from the seeming evil of which we have spoken, God has by his overruling influence deduced this good, is, that the completest spirit of toleration, and this high description of character, have not been commonly united, but that seasons which peculiarly called forth in churchmen the exercise of Christian forbearance, were also singularly fruitful in examples of this sublime and philosophic piety.* has left religion itself to be a matter of reason and conviction, as really as it was in the primitive times: and the consequence has been, that reason and conviction have signally done their part. Infidels have made their utmost efforts; with every aid that perverted talent and misapplied learning could give them; but all they could accomplish, has been to call forth far more powerful minds to defeat them with their own weapons: and to demonstrate, that though the divine religion of the Gospel leans on political support, for the sake of greater public utility, yet its appropriate strength is that of invariable reason, irrefragable truth, and self-evident excellence. And while the English establishment has thus served the general interests of religion, she has most substantially served herself. Making her appeal to reason, she has been estimated accordingly; and what she has not endeavoured to extort by force, has been greatly yielded to her from rational attachment. It was natural, that the toleration which was given, should, in so exclusive a community, be largely made use of. But this leaves room for the establishment to try its comparative fitness to attach more miods, in which, be it said without invidiousness, the result has at all times been such, as signally to strengthen whatever has been adduced to illustrate the high providential uses of the established church of England. Still, however, as the natural and proper tendency of the very best things may be. thwarted by opposite influences, we ought to be aware that the genuine tendency of the establishment to attach men's minds, and recommend itself by its own excellence, should not be trusted in so confidentially, as that any of those to whom this precious deposit is committed should, from an idea that its influence cannot be weakened, become supine, while its enemies are alive and active. We do not mean, that they should oppose the adversaries of the church by acrimonious controversy, but by the more appropriate wea We may In fact, whether we consider the circumpons of activity and diligence. stances under which the church of England reasonably presume, that the Almighty, havwas formed, the language in which she ex-ing wrought such a work for us at the Represses her sense of the Christian doctrines, formation, will still continue his blessing, the spirit which pervades all her formularies, or the temper which has distinguished the first founders, and all their genuine successors; she evidently appears designed by Eternal Wisdom to have been a tolerant church; and by being such, to be the means of serving the great cause of Christianity, in certain important instances; which could only * See bishop Burnet's history of his own times. while the same means are employed to maintain, which were used to establish it. But to this end every aid should be resorted to, every method should be devised, by which the great mass of the people may be brought to the public worship of the church. To one most important means we have already adverted, and it cannot be too much insisted * * Chap. xviii. en-that the lower classes, among which the | tially fostered. Certain it is, that at every defection is greatest, should betimes receive period of our history, when an advance is an impression on their minds, not only of made in civil matters, some step appears God's goodness and mercy, but of his power generally to have been gained in ecclesiastical and supremacy; and also, that God is the concerns also; and the completion of the real original authority by which kings reign, one is equally that of the other. But it and princes decree justice;' by which obe- seems as if the distinct agency of Providence, dience and loyalty to government are enforc-in bringing our church to that avowed and ed, and all the subordinate duties of life re-established tolerance, which was alike conquired of them. It is from the pulpit, un- genial to its spirit, and necessary to its purdoubtedly, that every duty, both to God and pose, is even more remarkable than that man, is best inculcated, and with a power series of interpositions which has been reand sanction peculiar to itself; and it is the ferred to in the civil history of the country. clergy that must prepare for God faithful And let it not be forgotten, that the toleraservants and true worshippers; and for the tion of our church is connected with our king a willing and obedient people. national love of civil liberty, and that the state also is tolerant.* And may we not believe, that this was necessary, till the new order of things should have established itself in the habits of the people. But the clergy, however zealous, pious, and active, cannot find time to do all that The long reign of queen Elizabeth seems might be done. A people might be prepar to have been designed for the purpose of ed for the clergy themselves. The minds of consolidating and perpetuating the great children should be universally familiarized work which had been accomplished. Durwith the moving stories, and their affections ing that period, all the energies of the preexcited by the amiable characters in the Bi-rogative were exercised for the exclusive ble. When the beautiful allegories of the maintenance of the established religion. New Testament have been not only studied, but properly interpreted to them; when their memories have been stored with such subjects and passages as constantly occur in preaching, the service of the church, by becoming more intelligible, will become more attractive. And as we have already observ ed, with their religious instructions, there should be mixed a constant sense of their own church, the privileges of belonging to it, the mischief of departing from it, the du ties which lie upon them as members of it They should be taught the nature of the government of this church, the authority from which it is derived, and their duty and obligations, not as children only, but through life, to its ministers. They should be taught what all the offices and institutions of the church mean; that none of them are empty ceremonies, but arrangements of genuine wisdom, and to be valued and used accordingly. That neither civil nor religious liberty was fully enjoyed in England till the revolution, will not be denied. And that the weak, and sometimes most erroneous conduct of the race of Stuart was providentially overruled, so as to lead to that glorious consummation, is equally obvious. May we not then suppose, that this family was brought upon the throne for this purpose, when we see, that when that object was ripe for accomplishment, the family, in its male line, was excluded from the sovereignty, on the clearest grounds of invincible necessity, and hopeless bigotry; an event, the occasion for which was as much to be deplored, as its motives are to be revered, and its consequences to be gloried in This revolution was one of those rare and critical cases, which can never be pleaded as a precedent by discontent or disaffection. It was a singular instance when a high duty was of necessity superseded by a higher; and when the paramount rights of law and conscience united in urging the painful but irresistible necessity. We will venture to say, that were such a mode of training the lower classes every where adopted, they would then, not occasionally, fall in with the stream on Sundays, and be mixed, they know not why, with a congregation of customary worshippers; bet they would come with ability to understand, and dispositions to prefer the establishGod has made buman society progressive, ed mode of worship; their ideas and senti- by the laws of nature, as well as by the orments would readily mix and assimilate with der of his Providence. At some periods, what they saw and heard. And thus an hab- this progress seems accelerated. It is, itual veneration, both for the church and its doubtless, the wisdom of those who preside pastors, would be an additional preparation over communities, to mark all such periods, for the gradual influence of real religion on and instead of resisting, to regulate the protheir minds. But while these modes of in-gress. This did not the unfortunate house struction may be maintained by the leisure of Stuart. Their political errors shall not and the liberality of the laity, the clergy here be enumerated Probably they would must be the life, and soul. and spirit of them. But to return.-Perhaps, in a fair view of the importance of that truly Christian liberty, which ever since the revolution of 1633 has been established in England, it might be doubted, whether this was not the ultimate *It is to be lamented that there was a most unobject, on account of which, the civil rights happy instance of departure from this spirit in the have been preserved from them, if they had not fought against divine Providence, in several instances. The spirit of the English reformation was that of rational but strict of the English community were so providen- reign of Charles II. piety. This strictness, the conduct both of (and a little, it may be feared, of that dissimJames and even of the first Charles, had a ulation too,) which had been so manifest in tendency to extinguish, by sanctioning, and, some former monarchs of her family. Yet in a degree, enjoining the profanation of the even this weakness was overruled to great Lord's day. The order of public worship, purposes. Had her attachment to the dutchas established by the reformers, was suffi- ess of Marlborough been more moderate, the ciently majestic;-no decorous circumstance duke might not have possessed that supreme being wanting, no exceptionable ceremonies authority, which enabled him to humble, by being admitted. Instead of wisely and so unexampled a series of victories, that powsteadily guarding this admirable arrange-er which had been the scourge of protestanment from encroachments, the unfortunate tism, and the pest of Europe. And had her Charles endeavoured to bring back these temper been less mutable, it might not have genuflections, and other ceremonies which been so easy to accomplish a peace, when the the first reformers had discarded; and enfor- reasonable ends of war had been so fully anced these innovations by a severity, still swered. more abhorrent from the temper of the An glican church. Under such mismanagement, these dissentient principles, which existed since the reformation, were fanned into that furious flame, from which the English constitution in church and state seems to have come forth unhurt, only because the designs of over-ruling Providence required their preservation. It would almost seem that the issue of this princess was deemed by Providence too central a branch of the Stuart family, to be entrusted with the newly-renovated constitution. A more distant connexion had already been specially trained for this most important trust, though with little apparent probability of being called to exercise it, the princess Anne having been no less than seventeen times pregnant. The death of the duke of Gloucester, the last of her family, at length turned the eyes of the English public towards the princess Sophia; from henceforth she and her issue were recognised as presumptive heirs to the crown. Many of the events which occurred during the last years of queen Anne's reign, served not a little to enhance to all who were cordially attached to the English constitution, the providential blessing of so suitable a succession. The second Charles, untaught by the calamities of his virtuous but misguided father, disregarded all principle in his public, and outraged all decency in his private conduct. His reign was a continual rebellion against that Providence, which had destined the English nation to exemplify, both good government, and good morals, to the surrounding world. Perhaps, however, nothing short of the enormities of himself, and the misconduct of his successor, could have been sufficient to impel the English, after the miseries they A more remarkable event is scarcely to be had so lately experienced from anarchy, to found in the annals of the world. Nothing the vindication of their just, constitutional could be more essential to the interests of rights. And probably, again, they would British liberty, than that they, who were connot have possessed that temper, which kept cerned for its maintenance, should be posthem from demanding more than their just sessed of the promptest and most unexceprights, if they had not received that previous tionable means of filling the vacant throne. discipline from the hand of heaven. It is No prince was fitted to their purpose. who worthy of notice, that when the house of Stu- was not zealously attached to the protestant art was dispossessed of the throne of England, religion; and it was desirable that he should, that same Providence caused a respite in fa- at the same time, possess such a title, on vour of those two princesses who had not par- ground of consanguinity, as that the princiticipated in the vices of their father's house. ple of hereditary monarchy might be as little Of these, the elder was made a chief instru-departed from, as the exigencies of the case ment in the great work which was to be ac- would admit. For the securing of both complished. She was a cordial protestant, these radical objects, what an adequate proand a pious Christian; and we cannot doubt, vision was made in the princess Sophia, and but her marriage with that prince, who was her illustrious offspring! The connexion appointed to perfect our liberties, was a spe- thus near, was made interesting by every circial link in the chain of intermediate causes. cumstance which could engage the hearts of She became a true English sovereign: a English protestants. The princess Sophia lover of the establishment, and an example was the only remaining child of that only reof christian charity. Strictly and habitually maining daughter of James the first, who devout amid all the temptations of a court, being married to one of the most zealous she was prepared to meet death with almost protestant princes of the empire, became his more than resignation. partner in a series of personal and domestic The character of her sister was much less distress, in which his committing himself, on impressive; her good qualities being better the cause of the protestants of Bohemia, infitted for a private life than a throne. It volved him and his family for near half a would be hard to charge her with inheriting century. In her, all the rights of her moththe faults of her ancestors, from all the gross-er, as well as of her father, were vested; er instances of which she was clearly exempt. Yet there certainly appears, in her attachments, much of that weak subjection of mind, Mary and Anne. and while by the electorial dignity, (of which her father had been deprived) being restored to her husband, the duke of Hanover, she seemed, in part, compensated for the afflictions of her earlier life,-her personal char |
