UNDER CHARLES THE SECOND.

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a few Presbyteries, and of many Independent congregations,which were all held down and held together by the authority ■of the government.

Of those who had been active in bringing back the King,many were zealous for synods and for the directory, and manywere desirous to terminate by a compromise the religious dis-sensions which had long agitated England. Between thebigoted followers of Laud and the bigoted followers of Calvinthere could be neither peace nor truce: but it did not seemimpossible to effect an accommodation between the moderateEpiscopalians of the school of Usher and the moderate Pres-byterians of the school of Baxter. The moderate Episco-palians would admit that a Bishop might lawfully be assistedby a council. The moderate Presbyterians would not denythat each provincial assembly might lawfully have apermanentpresident, and that this president might lawfully be called aBishop. There might be a revised Liturgy which should notexclude extemporaneons prayer, a baptismal service in whichthe sign of the cross might be used or omitted at discretion, acommunion service at which the faithful might sit if their con-sciences forbade them to kneel. But to no such plan couldthe great body of the Cavaliers listen with patience. The re-ligious members of that party were conscientiously attached tothe whole system of their Church. She had been dear to theirmurdered King. She had consoled them in defeat andpenury. Her service, so often whispered in an inner chamberduring the season of trial, had such a charm for them that theywere unwilling to part with a single response. OtherRoyalists, who made little pretence to piety, yet loved theepiscopal Church because she was the foe of their foes. Theyvalued a prayer or a ceremony, not on account of the comfortwhich it conveyed to themselves, but on account of thevexation which it gave to the Roundheads, and were so farfrom being disposed to purchase union by concession that

CUAP.

ii.