Rome all the poffeffions which they had acquired from it in the preceding century by the peace of religion. Guftavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, checked his career. After thirty years of war, the reftitution-edict was abrogated, and the peace of religion renewed, A. D. 1648, by the treaty of Weftphalia. But religious liberty was not restored to the Auftrian and Bohemian proteftants; nor the whole of the Palatinate to its antient fovereign. From A. D. 1671 to A. D. 1681, the proteftants of Hungary were cruelly oppreffed. Some years before, the Socinians had been condemned to capital punishment in Poland; and all the fect was driven in mifery out of the country. And during the whole century the reft of the Polish proteftants found that no treaty was regarded by the Catholics. The remains of the Waldenfes in Piedmont were repeatedly perfecuted with fire and fword by the dukes of Savoy. In England, an attempt was made, A. D. 1604, under the direction of Garnet, fuperior of the English Jefuits, to destroy the king and the parliament by gun-powder. The proteftants of France, after fuftaining many fucceffive injuries, together with the loss, A. D. 1628, of their chief city Rochelle, which they had

been authorised to fortify, were attacked in process of time by local and most savage perfecution. The revocation of the edict of Nantes, by Louis XIV. A. D. 1685, crowned his guilt and their miferies. More than half a million fought refuge in other countries from the rage of unrelenting foldiery: and nearly fifty thousand found an afylum in England. In the fame year the perfuafions and the threatenings of Louis induced the Duke of Savoy to recall the edict, which his father had granted to the protestants of Piedmont. The faith of the reformed churches was likewife affailed by Romish writers, who publifhed infinuating and delufive explanations of the tenets of popery. Among these authors the most eminent was Boffuet, bifhop of Meaux; whofe expofition, though now in high reputation among the catholics, was at first strongly cenfured by individuals and by univerfities of that perfuafion, and was disapproved and applauded by fucceffive Popes. Some proteftant authors were enfnared by a defire of Chriftian union into an improper approach to antichriftian doctrines. Chriftina, queen of Sweden, and feveral German princes embraced in this century the Romish communion: but without effect

as

as to the national religion of their fubjects (m).

In the reign of Elizabeth, many of the English, who had fled to Geneva during the perfecution under Mary, returned to England with ftrong prepoffeffions in favour of Calviniftic doctrines and forms; and being dif fatisfied with the established church, because, in their opinion, it was not formed after a pure model, produced a fect of non-conformifts dénominated Puritans. They were reftlefs; the age was intolerant; the queen hoftile, and defpotic in the ufe of prerogative: in confequence they were treated with harfhnefs and injuftice. From James, though the arrogant violence of the Scottish clergy of the day had rendered him a warm friend to epifcopacy, they experienced greater humanity. In the reign of Charles I. they met with oppofition and vexation from Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, who regarded them with hor

(m) In Spain the fpirit of popery, to which many Chriftians were facrificed by the inquifition, fell with extreme fury on the Morefcoes, the defcendents of the Saracens. These unhappy people, after experiencing the utmoft perfidy and cruelty from Ferdinand, Charles V. and his fucceffors, were now fuddenly expelled, A. D. 1609, from Spain by Philip III. in the most barbarous manner; and fet on fhore, deftitute of protection, on the coast of Africa, where more than a hundred thousand of them perifhed. See their whole Hiftory in Watson's Life of Philip III. Book 4th.

ror. But their party gradually derived ftrength from the political measures of the king: and had a leading fhare in precipitating the kingdom into civil war. In the courfe of the conflict they were depreffed and fupplanted by the more recent fect of Independents; who disclaimed every form of union between churches, and affigned to each congregation the exclufive government of itself. Both puritans and independents harraffed in every poffible way the national church; and ultimately fucceeded in abolishing epifcopacy, and ejecting the epifcopal clergy. In the mean time a maffacre of the protestants in Ireland, which was fatal, according to the lowest computation on record, to forty thoufand individuals, was fuddenly perpetrated, A. D. 1641 by the Catholics of that kingdom; and perpetrated with a display of the moft horrid and deteftable barbarities equalled only in the Japanese annals of perfecution. Under Cromwell, who was alike averse to epifcopacy and prefbyterianifm, though he found it expedient to fhew favour to the latter; the church was delivered to the management of a fet of commiffioners, confifting partly of Prefbyterians, and partly of Independents. They were to examine and approve all those who were to be admitted to benefices:

*9

benefices and difpofed of all the livings which had been in the gift of the crown, of the bishops, and of cathedral churches. In his later years, Cromwell abated of his rigour. towards epifcopalians; and permitted them to hold their meetings even about London without moleftation. Upon the restoration of Charles II. the Church of England refumed its ancient form; and upwards of two thousand of the clergy attached to prefbyte rian difcipline relinquished their cures in one day. In Scotland alfo, where Charles I. inftigated by Laud, had attempted with ́equal impropriety and ill fuccefs to establish epifcopacy by force, the church was now placed under the government of bifhóps. Charles II. whofe profligacy would have difgraced any religion, was fecretly a favourer or a convert of the catholics. His fucceffor was an avowed papift; and by the most flagrant attacks on the religious and civil liberties of Great Britain, laboured to accomplish the re-eftablishment of popery. The revolution, A. D. 1688, delivered the nation from the dread of arbitrary power and idolatrous fuperftition; and fettled political and ecclefiaftical freedom on fo firm a bafe, that under the bleffing of God they have remained ftedfaft unto this day. May this bleffing long preserve them!