CH A

J.XV.

1673 -

200 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

P. -were asked with regard to his late apostacy.The various factions, into which the nation hadbeen divided, and the many sudden revolutions,to which the public had been exposed , hadtended much to debauch the minds of men, andto destroy the sense of honor and decorum , intheir public conduct. :i

But the parliament, though satisfied with theking’s compliance, had not lost all those appre-hensions, to which the measures of the court hadgiven so much foundation. A law passed forimposing a test on all who should enjoy any publicoffice. Besides taking the oaths of allegiance andsupremacy, and receiving the sacrament in theestablished church ; they were obliged to abjureall belief in the doctrine of transubstantiation.As the dissenters had seconded the efforts of thecommons against the kmg’s declaration of indul-gence, and seemed resolute to accept of no tolera-tion in an illegal manner,, they had acquiredgreat favor with the parliament; and a projectwas adopted to unite the whole protestant interestagainst the common enemy, who now began :oappear formidable. A bill passed the commons farthe ease and relief of the protestant nonconformists;but met with some difficulties, at least delays,in the house of peers.

The resolution for supply was carried into. alaw ; as a recompence to the king for his con-cessions. An act, likewise, of general pardonffirdindemnity was passed, which screened th/mi-nisters from all farther inquiry. The parli/ment