70

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.VII.liisr.'

the prelates and priests of the established religion. Ecclesias-tical benefices of great dignity had been bestowed, some onavowed Papists, and some on half concealed Papists. Andall this had been done while the laws against Popery were stillunrepealed, and while James had still a strong interest in af-fecting respect for the rights of conscience. What then washis conduct likely to be, if his subjects consented to free him,by a legislative act, from even the shadow of restraint? Is itpossibleto doubt thatProtestants wouldhave been as effectual-ly excluded from employment, by a strictly legal use of theroyal prerogative, as ever Roman Catholics had been by ActofParliament?

How obstinately James was determined to bestow on themembers of his own Church a share of patronage altogetherout of proportion to their numbers and importance is provedby the instructions which, in exile and old age, he drew up forthe guidance of his son. It is impossible to read withoutmingled pity and derision those effusions of a mind on whichall the discipline of experience and adversity had been ex-hausted in vain. The Pretender is advised, if ever he shouldreign in England, to make a partition of offices, and carefullyto reserve for the members of the Church of Rome a portionwhich might have sufficed for them if they had been one halfinstead of one fiftieth part of the nation. One Secretary ofState, one Commissioner of the Treasury, the Secretary ofWar, the majority of the great dignitaries of the household,the majority of the officers of the army, are always to be Ca-tholics. Such were the designs of James after his perversebigotry had drawn on him a punishment which had appalledthe whole world. Is it then possible to doubt what his conductwould have been if his people, deluded by the empty name ofreligious liberty, had suffered him to proceed without anycheck ?

Even Penn, intemperate and undiscerning as was his zealfor the Declaration, seems to have felt that the partiality withwhich honours and emoluments were heaped on Roman Ca-tholics might not unnaturally excite the jealousy of the nation.He owned that, if the Test Act were repealed, the Protestants