JAMES THE SECOND.

15

I

; and heretics whose lives were pure, and whose errors ap-)> peared to be the effect rather of some perversion of the under- -

' standing than of the depravity of the heart. But, like many

other good men of that age, he regarded the case of theChurch of Rome as an exception to all ordinary rules.

Burnet had during some years had anEuropean reputation.

; His History of the Reformation had been received with loudft applause by all Protestants, and had been felt by the RomanCatholics as a severe blow. The greatest Doctor that theChurch of Rome has produced since the schism of the six-teenth century, Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux, was engaged inframing an elaborate reply. Burnet had been honoured by avote of thanks from one of the zealous Parliaments which hadsate during the excitement of the Popish plot, and had beenexhorted, in the name of the Commons of England, to continuehis historical researches. He had been admitted to familiarconversation both with Charles and James, had lived on, terms of close intimacy with several distinguished statesmen,particularly with Halifax, and had been the spiritual guide ofsome persons of the highest note. He had reclaimed fromatheism and from licentiousness one of the most brilliantlibertines of the age, John Wilrnot, Earl of Rochester. LordStafford, the victim of Oates, had, though a Roman Catholic,been edified in his last hours by Burnet’s exhortationstouching those points on which all Christians agree. A few' years later a more illustrious sufferer, Lord Russell, had been| accompanied by Burnet from the Tower to the scaffold inLincoln’s Inn Fields. The court had neglected no means of‘f, gaining so active and able a divine. Neither royal blandish-;J ments nor promises of valuable preferment had been spared.I But Burnet, though infected in early youth by those servile$ doctrines which were commonly held by the clergy of that age,V had become on conviction a Whig; and he firmly adheredj through all vicissitudes to his principles. He had, however,no part in that conspiracy which brought so much disgrace and•■'I calamity on the Whig party, and not only abhorred themurderous designs of Goodenough and Ferguson, but wasof opinion that even his beloved and honoured friend Russell

CHAP.

11)31.