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Untitled Article
The history of the negotiations which took place at the commencement of the reign of Charles It . between the High Church party and the Presbyterians for a comprehension , is treated at some length by Mr . Hallam , who has remarked with much severity upon the illiberal and uncompromising spirit displayed by the former party at the Savoy conferences . Some portion of the same censure might also have been justly bestowed by him upon the Presbyterians , for it is painful to find that while they were seeking
to relieve themselves from religious disabilities , they were desirous at the same time of fastening similar fetters upon others , so imperfectly at that time were the true principles of religious toleration understood . At a conference between the two parties in the King ' s presence previously to the publication of the King ' s Declaration of 25 th Oct ., 1660 , * in favour of liberty of conscience , the Lord Chancellor intimated that the King had been petitioned by the Independents and Anabaptists for liberty , in consequence
of which it was proposed to be inserted , permitting all persons to meet for religious worship , so that it was not to the disturbance of the peace . This was supposed to be intended for the benefit of the Papists . The Presbyterians , " says Calamy , " were afraid to speak against it , lest all sects and parties should look upon them as the causers of their sufferings , and they should be represented as grossly partial in desiring liberty themselves , while they would have no others have it with them . At length Mr . Baxter , fearing their silence might be misrepresented , spake to this purpose : That
Dr . Gunning , a little before speaking against sects , had namedthe-Papists and Socinians ; that for their parts they did not desire favour to themselves alone , and rigorous severity against none ; but as they humbly thanked his Majesty for his declared indulgence to themselves , so they distinguished the tolerable party from the intolerable ; for the former they humbly craved just lenity and favour ; but for the latter , such as the two sorts mentioned , for their parts they could not make their toleration their request "—Life o f Baxter ^ p . 1 , 50 .
Before we conclude our remarks on the portion of the work before us which relates to the reign of Charles II ., we must say a few words as to the view taken by Mr . Hallam of the character of Algernon Sidney , which has , we believe , caused some surprise . After stating the inclination of his opinion to be , that Barillon spoke the truth in his statement of the sums of * With regard to this Declaration , we fiud the following note by Mr . H-: " Burnet says , that Clarendon had made the King publish thus Declaration , but the
bishops did not approve of this ; and after the service they did that Lord in the Duke of York's marriage , he would not put any hardship on those who had so signally , obliged him . This is very invidious ; i know no evidence that the Declaration was published at Clarendon ' s suggestion , except , indeed , that he was the great adviser of the Crown ; yet in some things , especially of this nature , the King seems tq have acted without his concurrence . He certainly speaks of the Declaration as if he did
not wholly relish it , and does not state it fairly . " There certainly is evidence to support Burners statement , for it appears from Calamy * s Life of Baxter , ( p . 149 , ) that Clarendon drew up the Declaration , and that the conference respecting it ( mentioned above ) was held at his house . On a subsequent occasion , Clarendon acknowledges that he made himself obnoxious to the bishops by appearing to support the Presbyterians . Life , Vol . II . p . 304 . 8 vo . edit .
In the course of the same note , Mr . Hallam says , " In State Trials , Vol . VI . p . 11 , it ( the Declaration ) is said to have boen drawn up by Morley and Henchman for the Church , Reynolds and Calamy for the Dissenters ; if they disagreed , Lords Hollis and Anglesea to decide . " If Mr . H . had looked Into either Neale or Calamy he would have seen that these persons were only appointed " to determine oi any words in the alterations . "
Untitled Article
Review . — Hallam s Constitutional History of England . 253
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1828, page 253, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2559/page/37/
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