perfons of our kings have ever been dear unto parliaments, fo we cannot think of that horrid act committed against the precious life of our late fovereign, but with fuch a deteftation and abhorrency, as we want words to exprefs it; and next to wifhing it had never been, we wish it may never be remembered by your majesty, to be unto you an occasion of forrow, as it will never be remembered by us, but with that grief and trouble of mind, which it deferves; being the greatest reproach, that ever was incurred by any of the English nation, an offence to all the proteftant churches abroad, and a scandal to the profeffion of the truth of religion here at home; though both profession and true pro- The whole aafeffors, and the nation itself, as well as the parliament, were most innocent of it, it having been only the contrivance and act of some few ambitious and bloody perfons, and fuch others, as by their influence were misled. And as we hope and pray, that God will not impute the guilt of it, nor of all the evil confequences thereof, unto the land, whofe divine juftice never involves the guiltless with the guilty." Though Dr. Prieftley finds occafion of exultation and triumph in the annual commemoration of the 30th of January, yet in anoRr 2 ther tion not guilty. The murderers of King Charles a faction, and not reprefenta tives of the na tion. ther part of his works he owns, that from the nature of things it was neceffary, that the oppofition to King Charles's government should begin from a few, who might therefore be called a faction, for whom there was no fafety fhort of his death. * "For," fays he, "it is to be regretted, that the fituation of things was fuch, that the fentence could not be passed by the whole nation, † or their reprefentatives folemnly * Priestley upon Government, p. 39. affembled + Lord Clarendon relates the following anecdote, not irrelevant to the prefent fubject, which happened on the first day of King Charles's trial. Hift. of the Civil Wars, vol. iii.. b. xi. p. 196. " When all those, who were commiffioners had taken their places, and the king was brought in, the first ceremony was, to read their commiffion, which was the ordinance of parliament for the trial; and when the judges were all called, every man answering to his name, as he was called, and the prefident being first called and making anfwer, the next who was called being the general, Lord Fairfax, and no answer being made, the officer called him the second time, when there was a voice heard that faid, he had more wit than to be there;' which put the court into fome diforder; and fomebody afking who it was, there was no answer, but a little murmuring; but prefently, when the impeachment was read, and that ex preffion ufed, of all the good people of England, the fame voice in a louder tone anfwered, No, nor the hundredth part of them;' upon which one of the officers bid the foldiers give fire into that box, whence thofe prefumptuous words were uttered; but it was quickly discerned, that it was the general's wife the lady Fairfax, who had uttered both those sharpe fayings, who was presently perfuaded or forced to leave the place, to prevent any new disorder. She affembled for that purpose. I am fenfible indeed that the generality of the nation at that time would not have voted for the death of their fovereign." From what I have already faid, may we collect a specimen of the deadly fruit, which this faction would produce, if the growth of the plant were in any manner encouraged in this country. Some of the most noxious herbs, under the disguise of improper names, find their way into the fairest gardens; but one fatal instance of their deadly poison, induces the melancholy but requifite caution to prevent their future progress to maturity. Thus confident am I, that the abufive application of the term religious to these feditious and rebellious political fectaries, has alone procured the admiffion, adoption, or toleration of them in our conftitution. We have She was of a very noble extraction, one of the daughters and heirs of Horace Lord Vere of Tilbury, who having been bred in Holland, had not that reverence for the church of England, as fhe ought to have had, and fo had unhappily concurred in her husband's entering into rebellion, never imagining what mifery it would bring upon the kingdom, and now abhorred the work in hand as much, as any body could do, and did all she could to hinder her husband from acting any part in it. Nor did he ever fit in that bloody court, though he was throughout overwitted by Cromwell, and made a property to bring that to pass, which could very hardly have been otherwise effected." Seditious po ries mafked unappellation. litical fecta der a religious been long ago told by good authority, that from their fruits ye shall know them; and I confidently affirm what nobody will deny, that the mild fpirit of the British constitution never will be disgraced by the intolerance and perfecution of those, who know the use of no other, than the spiritual weapons of St. Paul to propagate their doctrine, who recommend the truth of it by their meeknefs, humility, and peaceable submission to the powers of the ftate, and command refpect by the charity they practise towards their neighbour, and the edifying example of their own innocency. As God has left the choice and form of government to each community, fo has he given to each community, the necessary powers and means for its own prefervation, which in their nature must be variable, that they may fit and be fuitable, to that indefinite variety of circumstances and occafions, which in the occurrences and fates of empires are poffible to arife. Dr. Kippis in his fermon upon the centenary commemoration of the revolution has expreffed an idea highly liberal in its tendency, and which if carried into execution would perhaps add the most lafting fecurity to the peace, welfare, and profperity of our excellent constitution, • « Perhaps it • Dr. Kippis's Sermon, p. 29. may |