ly led the lords and commons into fome degree of oppofition; but they foon acquiefced in the king's measures, and then the parliament was diffolved for their tardy compliance. This was happy for the nation, for it was perhaps impoffible to pick out another house of commons, that could be more ready to acquiefce in the measures of the crown.

The parliament being difmiffed, the next A.D. 1686. ftep was to secure a catholic intereft in the privy council. Accordingly four catholic lords. were admitted; Powis, Arundel, Belafis, and Dover. The king made no fecret of his defires to have his courtiers converted to his own religion; Sunderland, who faw that the only way to preferment was by popery, fcrupled not to gain favour at that price. Rochester, the treasurer, was turned out of his office, because he refused to conform. In these schemes, James was entirely governed by the counfels of the queen and of his confeffor, father Peters, a Jefuit whom he foon after created a privy-counsellor. Even in Ireland, where the duke of Ormond had long fupported the royal caufe, this nobleman was displaced as being a proteftant; and the lord Tyrconnel, a furious Roman catholic, was placed in his stead. The king one day, in his attempts to

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convert his fubjects, ftooped fo low as colonel Kirke; but this daring foldier told him that he was pre-engaged, for he had promised the king of Morocco, when he was quartered at Tangiers, that if he ever changed his religion, he would turn Mahometan.

But it could not be expected that the favour fhewn by James to the catholics, would be tamely borne by the members of the English church. They had hitherto, indeed, supported the king against his republican enemies, and to their affiftance he chiefly owed his crown. But finding his partiality to the catholics, the clergy of the church of England began to take the alarm, and commenced an oppofition to court measures. The pulpits

now thundered out against popery, and it was urged, that it was more formidable from the fupport granted it by the king. It was in vain that James attempted to impose filence on these topics; instead of avoiding the controverfy, the proteftant preachers pursued it with ftill greater warmth.

Among those who diftinguished themselves on this occafion, was one doctor Sharpe, a clergyman of London, who declaimed with juft feverity against those who had changed their religion, by fuch arguments as the popish miffionaries

thiffionaries were able to produce. This being fuppofed to reflect upon the king, gave great offence at court; and pofitive orders were given to the bishop of London to fufpend Sharpe till his majefty's pleasure should be farther known. The bifhop refufed to comply; and the king refolved to punish the bishop himfelf for disobedience.

To effect his defigns, he determined to revive the high commiffion court, which had given the nation fo much disguft in the times of his father; and which had been for ever abolished by act of parliament. But the laws were no obftacle to James, when they combatted his inclinations. An ecclefiaftical commiffion was iffued out anew, by which feven com. miffioners were invested with a full and unlimited authority over the whole church of England. This was a blow to the church. which alarmed the kingdom; and could the authority of this court take place, the king's intentions of converting the nation would naturally follow. Before this tribunal the bishop was fummoned, and not only he, but Sharpe the preacher, were fufpended.

The next step, was to allow a liberty of confcience to all fectaries; and he was taught to believe that the truth of the catholic religion, would then, upon a fair trial, gain the victory. VOL. IV. C

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In fuch a cafe, the fame power that granted liberty of conscience, might restrain it; and the catholic religion alone be then permitted to predominate. He therefore iffued a declaration of general indulgence, and afferted that nonconformity to the established religion was no longer penal. In order to procure a favourable reception to this edict, he began by paying court to the diffenters, as if it had been principally intended for their benefit. But that fect was too cunning and fufpicious to be fo deceived. They knew that the king only meant to establish his own religion, at the expence of theirs; and that both his own temper, and the genius of popery, had nothing of the true fpirit of toleration in them. They diffembled, however, their diftruft for a while; and the king went on filently applauding himself on the fuccefs of his schemes.

But his measures were caution itself in England, compared with those which were carried on in Scotland and Ireland. In Scotland, he ordered his parliament to grant a toleration to the catholics only, without ever attempting to intercede for the diffenters, who were much more numerous. In Ireland, the proteftants were totally expelled from all offices of trust and profit, and the catholics were put in their

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places. Tyrconnel, who was vested with full authority there, carried over as chancellor one Fitton, a man who had been taken from a jail, and who had been convicted of forgery and other crimes. This man, a zealous catholic, was heard to fay from the bench, that all proteflants were rogues; and that there was not one among forty thousand, that was not a traitor, a rebel, and a villain.

These measures had fufficiently difgufted every part of the British empire; but to complete his work, for James did nothing by halves, he publicly fent the earl of Castlemaine, ambaffador extraordinary to Rome, in order to express his obedience to the pope, and to reconcile his kingdoms to the catholic communion. Never was there fo much contempt thrown upon an embaffy that was fo boldly undertaken. The court of Rome expected but little fuccefs from measures fo blindly conducted. They were fenfible that the king was openly ftriking at thofe laws and opinions, which it was his bufinefs to undermine in filence and fecurity. The cardinals were even heard facetiously to declare, that the king fhould be excommunicated, for thus endeavouring to overturn the small remains of popery that yet fubfifted in England. The only

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