tinguished itself from the whole Christian world, but also to the depth of that Divine wisdom, which made so many remote and unconnected contingences work together in producing so valuable a

result!

In establishing a religion which is founded on truth, and which consists essentially in the love of God and man, what more suitable dispositions could there be provided, than an independent spirit, and a mitigating temper? 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 English laws and constitution to form such dispositions in those who lived within their influence. If this tendency were doubtful, a striking fact in after-times might serve to illustrate it. I mean, that steady zeal with which all the great constitutional lawyers, during the agitations of the seventeenth century, endeavoured to preserve to the English church establishment that very temperament which had so happily entered into its first formation. Nor can we pass over the care which was taken, in the very occurrences of the Reformation, for adapting it to the independent spirit of the English, and also for perpetuating, in the establishment itself, that mild and mitigating temper which had influenced its first founders.

It was indispensable that the change in the church establishment should be accomplished by the paramount powers of the state; they 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, Providenee 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.

The service that these illustrious men had done, by their temperate wisdom and admirable judgment, in the reign of Edward, in compiling such a liturgy, and establishing such a worship, and such a form of doctrine, is ever to be had in grateful remembrance. But their passive virtue, their primitive heroism, in patiently, and even joyfully, dying for those truths which they had conscientiously adopted; this it was which established protestantism in the hearts of the English populace! They saw the infernal cruelty of the popish leaders, and the calm magnanimity of the protestant martyrs. They saw these holy men, whose connexion with secular politics might be thought to have corrupted them, and whose high station in society might be supposed to have enervated them, facing death in its most dreadful form, with more than human tranquillity! They saw all this, and the impression made upon them was like that which was made on the Israelites at Mount Carmel, by the event of the memorable contest between the priests of Baal, and the prophets of the Lord! Accordingly, on the death of Mary, the accession of Elizabeth excited universal joy. The acqui

escence of the people in the changes made by Henry, and even by Edward, were little more than acts of necessity, and therefore implied no revolution in the general opinion. But now it was evinced, by every possible proof, that a thorough detestation of popery had extended itself through the whole community. "Were we to adopt," says Goldsmith, "the maxim of the catholics, that evil may be done for the production of good, one might say, that the persecutions in Mary's reign were permitted only to bring the kingdom over to the protestant religion. The people had formerly been compelled to embrace it, and their fears induced them to conform, but now almost the whole nation were protestants from inclination." Nothing can surely be more just than the substance of this sentiment. The lively writer seems only to have forgotten, that we 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.

CHAPTER 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 circumstance 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 chapter, on the peculiar characters of the English establishment, be just, these persons, however conscientious, were opposing, without being aware of it, an institution which, from its excellent tendency and effects, seems to have been sanctioned by Providence. But may not even their opposition, and subsequent dissent, be considered in the same light as those other transactions which have been mentioned; that is, as permitted by the all-wise Disposer, in order to beneficial results, which could not in the nature of things, according to our conception, have been equally produced through any other instrumentality? For example: did it not supply the aptest means, which we can conceive, for answering the important purpose, which was mentioned abovethe perpetuating in the establishment itself, that mild and mitigating temper which had so signally influenced its first founders.

66

If Christian virtue be, in every instance, the result, and the reward, of conflict; and if each virtue be formed, as it were, out of the ruins of the opposite vice; then may we not deem it morally certain, that a Christian community, which God "delighted to honour," should, as well as individuals, have an opportunity suitable to its circumstances, of not being overcome of evil," but "of overcoming evil with good?" And would it not, therefore, appear probable that, though it should possess that political strength, and that portion of outward dignity, which might be necessary to its efficiency as a national establishment, it should also have some opposition to encounter, some trials to sustain, some calumnies to surmount, some injuries to forgive? Would not such circumstances strengthen its claim to being deemed an integral part of the

church militant? and would they not fit it for answering all the purposes of a Christian establishment, far better than if it had possessed that exclusive ascendancy, which should leave no room for the exercise of passive, and almost supersede the necessity even of active, virtue ?

That the schism, of which we speak, was permitted by Providence for some such purpose as that just described, appears probable, from the agreement of such an intention with that wise and temperate plan by which the Reformation had been effected; from the obvious consistency of providing for the continuance of that moderate and mitigating temper of the first reformers; and, above all, because it is evident that the event in question has actually answered this valuable purpose; 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 essentials and circumstantials of religion. Their judgment becomes strong, as