lieving that the court itself, at whose instance the measure had been professedly brought in, was at the bottom of the opposition which succeeded in throwing it out. This was in November, 1660. After rejecting the Declaration Bill this Convention Parliament passed an act directing that every sequestrated minister who had not justified the late king's murder, or declared against infant baptism, should be restored to his living before the 25th of December following, the present incumbent quitting it, and being accountable for all dilapidations and all arrears of fifths not paid. This act at once dispossessed many hundreds of ministers brought into the church in the time of the Commonwealth.

In the "healing declaration" it had been announced that the final determination of all matters appertaining to the establishment of "a perfect and entire unity and uniformity throughout the nation" should be left to the advice of a national synod. Accordingly, royal letters patent were issued on the 25th of March, 1661, appointing twelve bishops, with nine clergymen as assistants, to meet with an equal number of Presbyterian divines in the Savoy, "to advise upon and review the Book of Common Prayer," &c. Among the episcopalian commissioners were Frewen, archbishop of York, Sheldon, bishop of London, Cosins of Durham, Morley of Worcester, Walton of Chester, Gauden of Exeter, and Reynolds of Norwich: among their assistants, Dr. Peter Heylin, Dr. John Barwick, Dr. Peter Gunning, Dr. John Pearson, and Dr. Thomas Pierce. Their opponents were the most eminent of the Presbyterian clergy-William Spurstow, Edmund Calamy, and Matthew Newcomen, names famous ever since the Smectymnuus controversy; the learned Richard Baxter, styled "Clerk, late of Kidderminster;" the great mathematician, Dr. John Wallis, then Savilian professor of geometry at Oxford, &c. These commissioners had scarcely assembled ere it was apparent that the two parties could never come to an agreement. The Presbyterians offered many exceptions to the liturgy, insisting mainly against the kneeling at the sacrament, against the use of the sur

plice, against the use of the cross in baptism, against godfathers as sponsors, and against holidays. In answer to their demand for the adoption of Archbishop Usher's scheme, it was pointed out to them that the king's commission gave them no authority even to take into consideration any questions relating to the government of the church. Baxter, however, took it upon himself to prepare a "Reformed Liturgy;" and his flying pen produced the finished work in a fortnight. After having been approved of by the other Presbyterian commissioners it was presented to the bishops for their acceptance. "This," says the historian of Puritanism, "gave great offence, as presuming that a liturgy, drawn up by a single hand in fourteen days, was to be preferred, or stand in competition with one which had been received in the church for a whole century." The bishops rejected Baxter's production at once, without examining it. In the end the two parties separated without having concluded or agreed upon anything. On the 20th of November following, however, the king sent a letter to the convocation, which was then sitting, commanding them to review the Book of Common Prayer, and to propose such additions and amendments as they might think necessary. The convocation was occupied a month in this review, and it is said that their additions and alterations amounted altogether to about six hundred. They gave the king the title of "Most Religious;" they increased instead of diminishing the number of holidays: but most of their alterations were extremely insignificant. Yet, in January, the Presbyterians considered that they had made the Book of Common Prayer more objectionable than it was before. The book, however, was unanimously adopted by both houses of convocation, and a bill was carried through both houses of parliament, enacting that it should be used in all cathedrals and collegiate churches and chapels, &c., and in all parish churches of England and Wales. By this statute, which is commonly called the Act of Uniformity, it was directed that all persons enjoying any ecclesiastical benefice or promotion within England, should publicly declare their assent to the

VOL. XIII.

M

Book of Common Prayer, and their approval of everything contained in it, by reading before their congregations a certain formula before the feast of St. Bartholomew, or 25th of August next, on pain of deprivation. It was further enacted by other clauses, that no person should continue to hold any benefice who either was not already episcopally ordained, or should not be episcopally ordained before the said day of St. Bartholomew. This act at once winnowed the Church of England of Presbyterianism and Puritanism to the last particle. On the Sunday immediately preceding the day of St. Bartholomew most of the Presbyterian ministers preached their farewell sermons; and it is said that on that fatal day about two thousand of them resigned their livings in the national establishment.

As in England, so also in Scotland, Presbytery was put down at the Restoration. In that part of the island, however, Presbyterianism had a hold over the popular mind which it never had acquired in England; and its extinction there in consequence, instead of being carried by the national voice, was an act of mere force and violence done by the government against the almost unanimous wish of the country.

In Ireland also, in which episcopacy had been abolished by the Long Parliament, it was now restored in the same manner as in England and Scotland.

END OF VOL. XIII.

London Printed by W. CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street.

Book of Common Prayer, and their approval of everything contained in it, by reading before their congregations a certain formula before the feast of St. Bartholomew, or 25th of August next, on pain of deprivation. It was further enacted by other clauses, that no person should continue to hold any benefice who either was not already episcopally ordained, or should not be episcopally ordained before the said day of St. Bartholomew. This act at once winnowed the Church of England of Presbyterianism and Puritanism to the last particle. On the Sunday immediately preceding the day of St. Bartholomew most of the Presbyterian ministers preached their farewell sermons; and it is said that on that fatal day about two thousand of them resigned their livings in the national establishment.

As in England, so also in Scotland, Presbytery was put down at the Restoration. In that part of the island, however, Presbyterianism had a hold over the popular mind which it never had acquired in England; and its extinction there in consequence, instead of being carried by the national voice, was an act of mere force and violence done by the government against the almost unanimous wish of the country.

In Ireland also, in which episcopacy had been abolished by the Long Parliament, it was now restored in the same manner as in England and Scotland.

END OF VOL. XIII.

London: Printed by W. CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street.