he doctrine or cause of his master. Thus the great mass of the
community had their attention diverted from that important part of the
Christian covenant which consists in practice, and were taught to rest
their hopes of salvation on speculative points, to the disbelief of
which were annexed those dreadful anathemas that entirely destroyed the
spirit of Christian charity, and made the professors of the same
religion enemies from principle, instead of brothers in love, united "by
one faith, one hope, one baptism."

This religious intoxication was increased by those confused, undefined
discussions about civil privileges, which, considering the altered
circumstances of the community, it would have been wise for the Crown
not to have provoked. There would, on the contrary, have been more
policy in permitting some claims, not authorized by precedent, to have
stolen in by connivance, and a few obnoxious institutions to have
silently died away. The parsimonious frugality of Elizabeth was a
powerful support to her prerogative, while the prodigal grants of King
James to his favourites paved the way to his son's ruin. The disputes
between King Charles and his three first parliaments induced him to have
recourse to measures for raising supplies which were unconstitutional,
and though the sums thus procured did not amount to a moiety of what
would have been granted in the shape of taxes, the people murmured at
forced loans, ship-money, and other unhappy expedients, when they would
cheerfully have paid much larger sums if granted as subsidies. The house
of Commons during the reign of Henry the Eighth were frowned and menaced
into the most abject subjection; and Elizabeth, with no less authority,
but superior address, awed them into non-resistance; but ever since the
accession of the house of Stewart they felt their importance, as bearers
of the public purse. Their decrees as well as their debates breathed a
spirit at once alarming and displeasing to Princes educated in the
opinion of their own Divine right, and succeeding a Queen who, though
wisely intent on the public good, was as despotic a Sovereign as ever
filled the English throne. A want of attention to the change which had
rendered his situation different from that of his predecessors, and a
too sanguine confidence in the affections of his people, which his
virtues and abilities richly deserved, hurled the unhappy Charles from
his throne. He wanted those pre-monitory lessons wh