The same resentments and prejudices,the same jealousies and fears,which burst out with violence,upon many occasions a few years before,lay still in the hearts of men;latent and quiet,indeed,and wearing out by degrees,but yet easy to be revived,and to be blown up anew.If we compare the conduct of the long Parliament in 1674and 1675,with the attempts which had been lately made,during the administration of the Cabal;with the secret of the second Dutch war,and many other designs and practices of the court,which were then come lately and very authentically to light;with the state of Scotland,which was then subdued under a real tyranny and with that of Ireland,where,to say no more,the Act of Settlement was but ill observed;if we make this comparison,it will not yet appear that the proceedings of the House of Commons were immoderate,though they were warm;nor factious,though they were vigorous;nor that any danger could be then reasonably apprehended from them,except to the enemies of the constitution in Church and state;and yet even then the old resentments,prejudices,jealousies and fears began to revive;and an apprehension of falling back under the influence of Presbyterians and republican principles began to show itself in the House of Lords,and in the nation.It is true,that this had no immediate consequence;because the Popish Plot broke out soon afterwards like a mighty flame,in which these little fires,that began to burn anew,were lost.This great event made the Church and the Dissenters continue to run into one,as they had begun to do before;and the sole division of parties was that of the Court and the Country,as long as this Parliament lasted.But still it was evident with how delicate an hand every thing that related to our former disputes,required to be touched.It was evident that the least alarm given to the Church,or to those who value themselves on the principles of loyalty then in fashion,would be sufficient to open those wounds which were just skinned over,and to raise two new parties out of the ashes of the old.
These parties were not raised,whilst the long Parliament sat;because a general opinion prevailed,and well enough founded on their precedent conduct,that however angry the King might be with the Parliament,or the Parliament with the King,a few popular steps made on one side,and a little money granted on the other,would soften matters between them,and dispose them to forget all former quarrels.As hot therefore as the Parliament grew,and as much as some people might think that they exceeded their bounds;yet still it was difficult to persuade even these people that a Parliament,like this,would push things to the last extremity;destroy the constitution they had settled and supported with so much zeal;or draw the sword against a prince,to whom they had borne so much affection.But in the Parliaments which followed,the case was not the same;and I will state as shortly as I can,upon authorities,which no man likely to contradict me must refuse,what made the difference.
These authorities shall be that of Burnet,and that of Rapin;whom I quote,on this occasion,for the same reason that I would quote my lord Clarendon against King Charles the First,or Ludlow for him.
In the year 1676,before we have grounds sufficient to affirm that the design of excluding the Duke of York was formed,but not before we have reason to suspect that it might be in the thoughts of several,those who stood foremost in the opposition to the court,were very industrious to procure a dissolution of the long Parliament;so industrious,that they negotiated the affair with the Duke,who had concurred in a vote for an address to dissolve it;and they undertook that a new parliament should be more inclinable to grant the papists a toleration,than they would ever find this would prove.The papists were in earnest for this measure;since Coleman drew a declaration for justifying it,and since their design in it was to divide the King and his people.It is fair to conclude that the Protestants,who had been in it at the time I mention,upon party views,were at least as much so,when their views rose higher.This Parliament had pushed a strict and thorough examination into the Popish Plot,with great sincerity and zeal.Nay,the project of the exclusion had been started,though not prosecuted,in the last session.May we not take it for granted however,that they,who were now resolved to carry the exclusion,in a manner in which they soon attempted to carry it,and who foresaw by consequence the difficulties that would be opposed to them,and the strong measures they should be obliged to pursue,in order to overcome these difficulties;I say,might not they think this Parliament much less proper than any other to engage and persist in such measures?They thought thus,without doubt;and so far they judged better than the King,who came into the dissolution;upon very different motives.But as to the consequence of engaging a new Parliament in such strong measures,the event showed that the King judged better than they,in the progress of this affair.
