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powerful enemies. Every proselyte too must be reckoned twiceover, as a loss to the party which was even now too weak, and as again to the party which was even now too strong. The Churchwas but too well able to hold her own against all the sects in thekingdom; and, if those sects were to be thinned by a largedesertion, and the Church strengthened by a large reinforce-ment, it was plain that all chance of obtaining any relaxationof the Test Act would be at an end; and it was but too probablethat the Toleration Act might not long remain unrepealed.

Even those Presbyterian ministers whose scruples the Compre-hension Bill was expressly intended to remove were by no meansunanimous in wishing it to pass. The ablest and most eloquentpreachers among them had, since the Declaration of Indulgencehad appeared, been very agreeably settled in the capital andin other large towms, and were now about to enjoy, under thesure guarantee of an Act of Parliament, that toleration which,under the Declaration of Indulgence, had been illicit andprecarious. The situation of these men was such as the greatmajority of the divines of the Established Church might w T ellenvy. Few indeed of the parochial clergy w T ere so abundantlysupplied with comforts as the favourite orator of a great assem-bly of nonconformists in the City. The voluntary contributionsof his wealthy hearers, Aldermen and Deputies, West Indiamerchants and Turkey merchants, Wardens of the Company ofFishmongers and Wardens of the Company of Goldsmiths,enabled him to become a landowner or a mortgagee. The bestbroadcloth from Blackw'ell Hall, and the best poultry fromLeadenhall Market, were frequently left at his door. His in-fluence over his flock was immense. Scarcely any member, ofa congregation of separatists entered into a partnership, mar-ried a daughter, put a son out as apprentice, or gave his vote atan election, without consulting his spiritual guide. On allpolitical and literary questions the minister was the oracle ofMacaulay, History. IV. 7

cnAp.

XI.

JG83.