the. religious.; differences , which ran high, andfor which scarcely, any modern nation but theDutch, had as yet found the proper remedy.As rigor and restraint had failed of success isScotland, a scheme of comprehension was tried,, bywhich it was intended to diminish greatly tlrtzauthority of bishops, to abolish their negativevoice in the ecclesiastical courts , and to leavgthem little more than the right of precedencyamong the prelhy.ters v But the prefbyterian zeasqojpentertained greats jealousy against this schem.e-.They remembered , that, by such gradual steps,king James had endeavoured to intiodujce, episqorpacy. Should the ears and,eyes jof, men be gneereconciled to the name and.diabit of bishopsthewhole power of the function, they dsyaded, yroulcisoon follow: The least commumcatjpn jr .with. up rlawful and antichristian institutions,they esteymecjdangerous and criminal: Touch ^not, tsite not,handle not ; this cry went out amongst them*And the king’s ministers at last perceived, thr\{;they should prostitute the dignity of governmen^,by making advances, to which the malecontentswere determined not to correspond. ~ r

The next project adopted was that of indulgenc^In prosecution of thjs scheme, the most popularof the expelled preachers, without requiring anyterms of submission to the established religion,:were settled in vacant churches; and small salaries,of about twenty pounds a-year were offered tpthe rest, till they should otherwise be providedfor. Tire se last refused the king’s bpynty, which*,Vol. XI.'*. ' " ' ' '.T

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LXVI.

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