Sere, for the most part, men case a solid only those who are lacking in a sense in can show any readiness to pass 'pe thear; and certainly justice will de them unless three considerations are orne in nand: (1) the intolerant spint e; (2) the bitter provocation experi A (Register, 451) tells a story of Heylin v Derham, Dr. Cosin, came to see him. What of familiar discourse between them, se to jin, thor art not a bishop; but we a 1 deserved it' To which he answe»4 amet. good I do the new b'shops; I do not envy to a CHAPTER VI THE RESTORATION ARMISTICE "I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken," OLIVER CROMWELL [to the Presbyterians]. It was a judgment upon them to be denied the free liberty of their consciences when the King came in, because when they were uppermost, they would not have liberty of conscience granted to others." GEORGE FOX, the Quaker. A WORK of stupendous difficulty faced the leaders of the English Church at the Restoration-a work which, even in these days of enlightened toleration, would severely tax the diplomatic resources of the Episcopal Bench.' Those leaders were, for the most part, men of such solid worth that only those who are lacking in a sense of proportion can show any readiness to pass judgment upon them; and certainly justice will not be done them unless three considerations are steadily borne in mind: (1) the intolerant spirit of the age; (2) the bitter provocation experi 1 Kennet (Register, 451) tells a story of Heylin which may be quoted here: "I happened to be there when the good Bishop of Durham, Dr. Cosin, came to see him, who, after a great deal of familiar discourse between them, said, I wonder, brother Heylin, thou art not a bishop; but we all know thou hast deserved it.' To which he answered, 'Much good may it do the new bishops; I do not envy them.' enced by the Church; (3) the hatred of both Presbyterianism and Sectarianism which had been roused in the breast of the laity. 1. Toleration was a principle which did not gain full recognition until some two hundred years had passed, and at that time hardly a single leader on either side could have been found to agree with Henry More, the Cambridge Platonist, when, in his Mystery of Godliness, he insisted that— "a mutual agreement of bearing with one another's dissents in the nonfundamentals of religion is really a greater ornament of Christianity (that is, of the whole Church of Christ) than the most exact Uniformity imaginable, it being an eminent act or exercise of charity, the flower of all Christian graces. And it is the best way, I think, in the long run, to make the Church as uniform as can justly be desired." 1 Leading Nonconformists, such as Calamy and Manton, regarded toleration as "a doctrine born of hell." Cromwell's toleration drew the line at Papists and Episcopalians; moreover, such toleration as he had permitted had resulted in an anarchy which no responsible person wished to see again. As we shall see, the Nonconformist leaders were determined to grant no toleration either to Papists or to Sectaries,' and were quite 1 Benjamin Whichcote was giving similar teaching; but to most people, at the time, such teaching suggested breadth without depth, or an impartiality based on the absence of conviction. 2 The student of this period must differentiate carefully between the "Nonconformists" (who regarded themselves as members of the English Church, though out of sympathy |