Search -
The miscellaneous works of Adam Clarke [ed. by J.Everett].
The miscellaneous works of Adam Clarke - ed. by J.Everett Author:Adam Clarke Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: As, through the Act of Uniformity passed in 1662, some of Mr. Wesley's more remote ancestors suffered greatly, being conscientious nonconformists, it will be nec... more »essary, before I proceed in their history, to give some account of that act, its influence and consequences. No reader of English history can be unacquainted with the troubles relative to religion which took place in the unhappy reign of Charles I., by which the kingdom was severely agitated, and the existence of genuine piety threatened with total ruin. The nation was divided, both in politics and religion, between the Church and the Dissenters; or perhaps, more properly, between Episcopacy and Presbyterianism: the former contending for unlimited or absolute monarchy in the state, and episcopacy in the church ; the latter strongly intent on the establishment of a limited monarchy in the state, and church government either by presbyters solely, or by a union of presbyters and bishops. But though this description be generally true of the parties denominated as above, yet there were many exceptions among individuals of sound sense and learning on both sides. Many conscientious and eminent churchmen saw and inveighed against the danger of carrying prerogative too far, and wished to promote such measures in ecclesiastical matters as might unite and cement in one body all the faithful of the land. Among the Dissenters many were found, especially during the civil wars and the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, who wished to establish republicanism in the state and presbyterianism in the church. But the many on both sides endeavoured to push on their own principles of civil and ecclesiastical government to their utmost consequences. Moderation was considered indecision, half-heartedness, and temporizing, by one party...« less