WILLIAM AND MART.

147

of the Border proved union on any reasonable terms to be im-possible. With what face, it was asked, can those who willmake no concession to us where we are weak, blame us for re-fusing to make any concession to them where we are strong?We cannot judge correctly of the principles and feelings of asect from the professions which it makes in a time of feeblenessand suffering. If we would know what the Puritan spirit reallyis, we must observe the Puritan when he is dominant. He wasdominant here in the last generation; and his little finger wasthicker than the loins of the prelates. He drove hundreds ofquiet students from their cloisters, and thousands of respectabledivines from their parsonages, for the crime of refusing to signhis Covenant. No tenderness was shown to learning, to geniusor to sanctity. Such men as Hall and Sanderson, Chillingworthand Hammond, were not only plundered, but flung into prisons,and exposed to all the rudeness of brutal gaolers. It was madea crime to read fine psalms and prayers bequeathed to the faith-ful by Ambrose and Chrysostom. At length the nation becameweary of the reign of the saints. The fallen dynasty and thefallen hierarchy were restored. The Puritan was in his turnsubjected to disabilities and penalties; and he immediatelyfound out that it was barbarous to punish men for entertainingconscientious scruples about a garb, about a ceremony, aboutthe functions of ecclesiastical officers. His piteous complaintsand his arguments in favour of toleration had at length imposedon many well meaning persons. Even zealous churchmen hadbegun to entertain a hope that the severe discipline which hehad undergone had made him candid, moderate, charitable.Had this been really so, it would doubtless have been our dutyto treat his scruples with extreme tenderness. But, while wewere considering what we could do to meet his wishes in Eng-land, he had obtained ascendency in Scotland; and, in an in-stant, he was all himself again, bigoted, insolent, and cruel.

10 *

CHAP.

XIV.

1G89.