Happily the state of things which
generated
such men has long since passed away.
Marvell - Poems
Archbishop Sheldon.
The high
churchmen of that day managed to combine the
most hideous bigotry, with an utter absence of
seriousness — a zeal worthy of a " Pharisee " with
a character which would have disgraced a "publi-
can. " Scarcely Christians in creed, and any thing
rather than Christians in practice, they yet in-
sisted on the most scrupulous compliance with the
most trivial points of ceremonial ; and persisted
in persecuting thousands of devout and honest
men, because they hesitated to obey. Things
which they admitted to be indifferent, and which,
without violation of conscience, they might have
forborne to enforce, they remorselessly urged on
those who solemnly declared that without such a
violation they could not comply. More tolerant
of acknowledged vice than of supposed error,
drunkenness and debauchery were venial, com-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR. XXV
pared with doubts about the propriety of making
the sign of the cross in baptism, or using the ring
in marriage ; and it would have been better for
a man to break half the commands in the deca-
logue, than admit a doubt of the most frivolous
of the church's rites. Equally truculent^ and ser-
vile, they displayed to all above them a meanness
proportioned to the insolence they evinced to all
below them. They formally invested the mo-
narch with absolute power over the consciences
of his subjects ; and, with a practice in harmony
with their principles, were ready at any moment
(if they had had any) to surrender their own.
As far as appears, they would have been willing
to embrace the faith of Mahometans or Hindoos
at the bidding of his Majesty ; and to believe and
disbelieve as he commanded them. Extravagant
as all this may appear, we shall shortly see it
gravely propounded by Parker himself. It was
fit that those who were willing to offer such vile
adulation, should be suffered to present it to such
an object as Charles II. — that so grotesque an
idolatry should have as grotesque an idol. As it
was, the God was every way worthy of the
worshippers. In a word, these men seemed to
reconcile the most opposite vices and the widest
contrarieties ; bigotry and laxity — pride and
meanness — religious scrupulosity and mocking
scepticism — a persecuting zeal against conscience,
and an indulgent latitudinarianism towards vice —
Digitized by VjOOQIC
XXVI NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR.
the truculence of tyrants and the sycophancy of
parasites.
Happily the state of things which generated such men has long since passed away. But
examples of this sort of high churchmanship
were not infrequent in the age of Charles II. ;
and perhaps Bishop Parker may be considered
the most perfect specimen of them. His father
was one of Oliver Cromwell's roost obsequious
committee-men ; his son, who was born in 1 640,
was brought up in the principles of the Puritans,
and was sent to Oxford in 1659. He was just
twenty at the Restoration, and immediately com-
menced and soon completed his transformation
into one of the most arrogant and time-serving of
high churchmen.
Some few propositions, for which he came
earnestly to contend as for the failh once de-
livered to the saints, may give an idea of the
principles and the temper of this worthy suc-
cessor of the Apostles. He affirms, " That unless
princes have power to bind their subjects to
that religion they apprehend most advantageous to
public peace and tranquillity, and restrain those
religious mistakes that tend to its subversion, they
are no better than statues and images of author-
ity : That in cases and disputes of public con-
cernment, private men are not properly sui juris ;
they have no power over their own actions ; they
are not to be directed by their own judgments, or
Digitized by VjOOQIC
NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR. XXVll
determined by their own wills, but bj the com*
mands and the determinations of the public con-
science ; and that if there he any sin in the com'
mandy he that imposed it shall answer for ity and
not I, whose whole dtUy it is to obey. The com-
mands of authority vyill warrant my obedience ; my
obedience wiU hallow^ or at least excuse my action^
and so secure me from sin, if not from error; and
in all doubtful and disputable cases 'tis better to
err with authority, than to be in the right against
it : That it is absolutely necessary to the peace
and happiness of kingdoms, that there be set up a
more severe government over men's consciences
and religious persuasions than over their vices
and immoralities ; and that princes may with less
hazard give liberty to men's vices and debauchee
ries than their consciences," *
He must have a very narrow mind or unchari-
table heart, who cannot give poor human nature
credit for the sincere adoption of the most oppo-
site opinions. Still there are limits to this exer-
cise of charity ; there may be such a concurrence
of suspicious symptoms, that our charity can be
exercised only at the expense of common sense.
We can easily conceive, under ordinary circum-
stances. Dissenters becoming Churchmen, and
Churchmen becoming Dissenters ; Tories and
Whigs changing sides ; Protestants and Koman-
* The Reheaital Transproudj vol. i. pp. 97, 98, 99, 100, 101.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
XXVm NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR.
churchmen of that day managed to combine the
most hideous bigotry, with an utter absence of
seriousness — a zeal worthy of a " Pharisee " with
a character which would have disgraced a "publi-
can. " Scarcely Christians in creed, and any thing
rather than Christians in practice, they yet in-
sisted on the most scrupulous compliance with the
most trivial points of ceremonial ; and persisted
in persecuting thousands of devout and honest
men, because they hesitated to obey. Things
which they admitted to be indifferent, and which,
without violation of conscience, they might have
forborne to enforce, they remorselessly urged on
those who solemnly declared that without such a
violation they could not comply. More tolerant
of acknowledged vice than of supposed error,
drunkenness and debauchery were venial, com-
Digitized by VjOOQIC
NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR. XXV
pared with doubts about the propriety of making
the sign of the cross in baptism, or using the ring
in marriage ; and it would have been better for
a man to break half the commands in the deca-
logue, than admit a doubt of the most frivolous
of the church's rites. Equally truculent^ and ser-
vile, they displayed to all above them a meanness
proportioned to the insolence they evinced to all
below them. They formally invested the mo-
narch with absolute power over the consciences
of his subjects ; and, with a practice in harmony
with their principles, were ready at any moment
(if they had had any) to surrender their own.
As far as appears, they would have been willing
to embrace the faith of Mahometans or Hindoos
at the bidding of his Majesty ; and to believe and
disbelieve as he commanded them. Extravagant
as all this may appear, we shall shortly see it
gravely propounded by Parker himself. It was
fit that those who were willing to offer such vile
adulation, should be suffered to present it to such
an object as Charles II. — that so grotesque an
idolatry should have as grotesque an idol. As it
was, the God was every way worthy of the
worshippers. In a word, these men seemed to
reconcile the most opposite vices and the widest
contrarieties ; bigotry and laxity — pride and
meanness — religious scrupulosity and mocking
scepticism — a persecuting zeal against conscience,
and an indulgent latitudinarianism towards vice —
Digitized by VjOOQIC
XXVI NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR.
the truculence of tyrants and the sycophancy of
parasites.
Happily the state of things which generated such men has long since passed away. But
examples of this sort of high churchmanship
were not infrequent in the age of Charles II. ;
and perhaps Bishop Parker may be considered
the most perfect specimen of them. His father
was one of Oliver Cromwell's roost obsequious
committee-men ; his son, who was born in 1 640,
was brought up in the principles of the Puritans,
and was sent to Oxford in 1659. He was just
twenty at the Restoration, and immediately com-
menced and soon completed his transformation
into one of the most arrogant and time-serving of
high churchmen.
Some few propositions, for which he came
earnestly to contend as for the failh once de-
livered to the saints, may give an idea of the
principles and the temper of this worthy suc-
cessor of the Apostles. He affirms, " That unless
princes have power to bind their subjects to
that religion they apprehend most advantageous to
public peace and tranquillity, and restrain those
religious mistakes that tend to its subversion, they
are no better than statues and images of author-
ity : That in cases and disputes of public con-
cernment, private men are not properly sui juris ;
they have no power over their own actions ; they
are not to be directed by their own judgments, or
Digitized by VjOOQIC
NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR. XXVll
determined by their own wills, but bj the com*
mands and the determinations of the public con-
science ; and that if there he any sin in the com'
mandy he that imposed it shall answer for ity and
not I, whose whole dtUy it is to obey. The com-
mands of authority vyill warrant my obedience ; my
obedience wiU hallow^ or at least excuse my action^
and so secure me from sin, if not from error; and
in all doubtful and disputable cases 'tis better to
err with authority, than to be in the right against
it : That it is absolutely necessary to the peace
and happiness of kingdoms, that there be set up a
more severe government over men's consciences
and religious persuasions than over their vices
and immoralities ; and that princes may with less
hazard give liberty to men's vices and debauchee
ries than their consciences," *
He must have a very narrow mind or unchari-
table heart, who cannot give poor human nature
credit for the sincere adoption of the most oppo-
site opinions. Still there are limits to this exer-
cise of charity ; there may be such a concurrence
of suspicious symptoms, that our charity can be
exercised only at the expense of common sense.
We can easily conceive, under ordinary circum-
stances. Dissenters becoming Churchmen, and
Churchmen becoming Dissenters ; Tories and
Whigs changing sides ; Protestants and Koman-
* The Reheaital Transproudj vol. i. pp. 97, 98, 99, 100, 101.
Digitized by VjOOQIC
XXVm NOTICE OF THE AUTHOR.
