The ministry of Clarendon exhibits by far the least exceptionable part of Charles's reign, yet the religious views of that minister were narrow and uncharitable ; and while the king, in a public declaration, promised entire toleration, and even some share in ecclesiastical benefices, to the Presbyterians, it was far from the intentions of the ministry to preserve such regard for them. The madness of the Millenarians afforded them a pretext for confounding all the enthusiastic and dan gerous sectaries with the Presbyterians, who were truly loyal. One Venner, an insane enthusiast, at the head of 60 armed followers like himself, who believed them selves invincible and invulnerable, proclaimed Jesus King, and terrifying all London, committed an unprovok ed murder. They retreated to Caen Wood on being attacked by the train bands, but returned and traversed the city once more. At last, they were overpowered in a house to which they rctirad, and those who were left alive were brought to execution. The pretext was greedily embraced by the high church party, to con found the Presbyterians with sectaries the most ob noxious in politics.
Affairs in Scotland hastened with a still quicker pace to the establishment not only of monarchy, but of des potism in church and state. The compliant Scottish parliament, annulled all laws which had passed since 1633; they declared the covenant unlawful, and voted a revenue to the king of 40,0001. a year. Pim lords of articles were restored; and it was determined, at the in stance of Middleton the Scottish minister, and with the advice of Clarendon, to restore prelacy in that king dom,—a measure pregnant with calamity.
As Scotland had not been included in the restored monarch's promise of amnesty, it was deemed expedient to make examples of severity in that kingdom. Ar gyle suffered death after an iniquitous trial: the man who had been the last to submit to Cromwell in Scot land, and who, when Charles was proclaimed in Scot land, had placed the crown on his head. Johnstone of Warriston suffered two years after.
A new English parliament met on the Sth of May 1661, in which only 56 members of the Presbyterian party had obtained seats; so successful had been the ef forts of the court to secure a majority of the zealous royalists and high-churchmen. The acts of this parlia ment were such as might have been expected from their principles. All coercive power, even in both houses united, over the person of the king, was renounced. With the command of the militia, the power of the sword was restored to the crown. This was a lawful concession to the supreme magistrate; but the liberty of the subject was submitted to be trampled under foot, by the act which empowered Charles to purge corpora tions of magistrates whose principles he suspected.
The test to which their loyalty was submitted, was de claring the unlawfulness of any resistance to the king. The doctrine of non-resistance was also introduced into the tenets of the church, and enjoined on all its mem bers. The church of England was re-established as it stood before the civil wars; and, as the old persecuting laws of Elizabeth were revived, the king's promise of indulgence to tender consciences was completely bro ken. Charles was in his heart a papist, as far as he possessed religion. This was suspected, but not yet known ; but, as he professed himself zealously attached to the English church, it was voted a crime by this ob sequious parliament to deny the episcopal faith of his majesty.
When the act of conformity passed in 1662, the parlia ment, in the height of its loyalty, ventured to check the wishes of the sovereign; but this deviation from their general slavish spirit was for no charitable object. Charles, for the sake of the Catholics, was desirous to exercise his dispensing power ; but the parliament urg ed him to recal his declaration of indulgence, and let him know, that the dispensing power which he claimed was not a part of his prerogative. The intoxication of loyalty, however, began to wear off from a multitude of causes. The act of uniformity, by which 2000 of the Presbyterian clergy were ejected from their livings, may sufficiently account for the alienation of that body of dissenters. Other acts of the same kind, as they struck at all dissenters whatever, enraged and united them against government, already perjured in its pro mise of toleration. Of the zealous churchmen, some already suspected the popish principles of Charles: The royalists, who had served him, saw him squander ing, on infamous pleasures, the money that might have rewarded their losses in his service ; and complained, That the act of oblivion was extended only to his friends.
After the army had been dismissed, perpetual and groundless jealousies had been kept alive of the dis banded officers. On the trilling insurrection of Verier, they were insultingly ordered to remove front London. From being continually suspected, the sectaries came at last to deserve suspicion. Clarendon, himself an alarmist, spread incessant rumours of plots and insur rections, and kept alive the memory of divisions, which ought to hare been consigned to oblivion. Sonic of the first fruits of the restoration were, therefore, to fill the gaols with innocent state prisoners, and the court and country with spies.