then condition, he throws himself upon their charity for presuming "to subscribe his most despicable Name." Defoe's hard and clear head easily took in pieces, and confuted, the argument of Asgill; but he does this with all the seriousness due to the sacred character of the subject. He also deals gently and respectfully with the man, concluding his preface by saying, "As for the unworthiness of Authors, and Truth suffering on their account; I have Reason to have more charity for him and all Men, on that account, than any other Body, having more occasion for it myself."

Dr. Charles Davenant had recently published his "Essays upon Peace at Home, and War Abroad. London. 1703." The work was dedicated to the Queen, with the ostensible object of promoting the peace and union urged in her Majesty's speech; but its author experienced the difficulty of changing sides in politics without some appearance of inconsistency; and in this production, his first in the character of a Whig, he was so unfortunate as to devote Chapter I. to "The Danger of Appeals to the People." It was scarcely to be expected that Defoe, who had already handled the subject, would remain silent, and on the 10th of December, 1703, he published "Some Remarks on the First Chapter in Dr. Davenant's Essays. London. Printed and sold by A. Baldwin. 1704." His arguments are skilfully wielded, and his powerful antagonist found them unanswerable. He quotes largely from his previous tract, The Original Power of the Collective Body of the People, and assigns as a reason for so doing, "because no Man has ever yet thought fit to confront it, either with Reason or History." He could not doubt that his doctrine would be unpopular with the Government and the House of Commons; but while doing full justice to the subject, his calmness of temper avoided all ground for further personal oppression. The above title was found too general to effect the sale of the book, and shortly after the commencement of the year it was reissued, with the title of "Original Right; or the Reasonableness of Appeals to the People: Being an Answer to the First Chapter in Dr. Davenant's Essays, entitled 'Peace at Home, and War Abroad.' London. Printed and sold by A. Baldwin. 1704."

In the pamphlet just noticed Defoe quietly remarks, "How

1704.]

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE word,

"PEACE."

79

easy 'tis for Men of Wit to give any thing a fair Face, and by a happy turn of Language call things of contrary Subjects by the same Name; Dr. Davenant depriving the People of all Power but what is representative, and giving the Delegated Power a superiority over the Power Delegating. Sir Humphrey Mackworth defending an Occasional Bill, and both presented to the world with the Equi-Vocal Title of Peace at Home, and dedicated to the Queen with high Strains of Eloquence, of which both are very good Masters, complimenting her Majesty on the Head of Peace, proposed in her Speech to the Parliament." The latter part of the above quotation has reference to the following work:-"Peace at Home: or a Vindication of the Proceedings of the Honourable the House of Commons, on the Bill for Preventing Danger from Occasional Conformity. Showing the Reasonableness and even Necessity of such a Bill, for the better Security of the Established Government, for preserving the Public Peace both in Church and State, and for Quieting the Minds of her Majesty's Subjects. By Sir Humphrey Mackworth, a Member of the Honourable House of Commons. London. Printed by Freeman Collins, and are to be sold by J. Nutt, near Stationers' Hall, 1703." Sir Humphrey's proposal (however apparently inconsistent the several parts of his title) was to pass laws which should tie all Dissenters hand and foot; deprive them of all places, public offices, and privileges; and thus to secure to them and the Church, Peace at Home." He assures her Majesty that, "the Conscientious Dissenter will be thanful for his Toleration." To this insult upon common sense Defoe answered, from his prison-house, in the same month of December, in "Peace without Union. By Way of Reply to Sir HM's Peace at Home. London. Printed in the year 1703." With an admirable mastery over language, with the most respectful deference, amounting even to compliment, and with an imperturbable coolness,-Defoe denies the premises of his opponent, disproves his arguments, and scatters his conclusions like withered leaves. I must make room for a short quotation from page 4. "If this Learned Gentleman can think to convince us that thus to humble the Dissenters by a Law, and to offer them the restraint he proposes, is the Way to Peace at Home, he cannot at the same time but suppose that

the Dissenters are very blind Ignorant People. Nor can he suppose that this will tend to the Peace which her Majesty has proposed to us, Peace join'd with Union. The French King has brought about the Destruction of the Protestants in France with a full Peace, but not with Union. "Tis Union is the matter, which as it is the Essence of Peace, so 'tis the only thing can make this Nation happy, and I would be glad to see how the least Prospect of an Union of Parties can be seen in the Scheme he hath drawn." He takes occasion, as in all his works that fairly admit it, to show that so far from wishing to injure the Established Church, the Dissenters would support it to their utmost power, as they did against King James II. He declares that in principle and practice he disapproves of Occasional Conformity, but objects that the Bill would deprive them of a liberty they now possess.

Defoe's pamphlet must have attained a large circulation, as it passed through three editions in less than as many months, and to the fourth he added a preface, signed " De Foe." Sir Humphrey received many other replies, which cannot here be noticed.

The High Church principles set up in England encouraged the Episcopalians in Scotland to attempt an invasion of the legal rights of the Established Presbyterian Church there, and with the like lamentable results of sectarian bitterness. There was, however, this important difference in the two countries, that the domination and persecution attempted in England was in the name of the Established Church, while the assumptions in Scotland had no such shelter, and were contrary to the written law. In order to place the matter in a clear light, Defoe published a pamphlet, intitled, "The Liberty of Episcopal Dissenters in Scotland truly stated. By a Gentleman. London. Printed in the Year 1703." In subsequent works he gives a history of the proceedings of both parties.*

We return to England, and the beginning of the year 1704. Notwithstanding the rejection of the Bill against Occasional Conformity, the High party were so far from abandoning

"Present State of Parties," pp.143-163; also," Memoirs of the Church of Scotland," pp. 320-1.

1704.]

THE HIGH CHURCH CHALLENGE.

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their efforts against the Dissenters, that a swarm of pamphlets issued from the press, darkening the truth, as locusts did the land of Egypt, and descending to the most personal attacks and invectives. The Dissenters were not behindhand in defending themselves, but with much more decency and forbearance.

One of the most considerable of the attacks, was that by Lesley, in "The Wolf Stript of his Shepherd's Clothing. An Answer to a celebrated Book, intitled, Moderation a Virtue,' &c. &c." This was primarily directed against Mr. Owen's pamphlet, but Defoe was not forgotten; and after him, the toleration of the whole body of Dissenters was virulently assailed, with that great ability which constituted its author the pamphleteering champion of the High Church party. Having been roused by Defoe's tracts on Peace and Union, Lesley challenges the Dissenters, in his eighth page, to "give in, to the present Convocation, a List of such indifferent Things, which if granted, they will promise to conform, and heal the Schism." The intolerant tone of his book is such as to make it evident that no submission would be followed by any good effect; yet Defoe knowing that the consideration of any such proposal would show which party was blameable, immediately, on the 5th of January, published "The Dissenter's Answer to the High Church Challenge. London: Printed in the year 1704." His proposals are much similar to those laid before Charles II. after the Restoration, and being then rejected by the High Church party, were followed by the Act of Uniformity, and its deplorable consequences. The contrast between the Christian temper of our author, and the rancorous spirit of Lesley, is very striking. In one paragraph only, he gives vent to an eloquent indignation, that terms should be offered without authority, which the Church had authoritatively refused, and would refuse again. Still he adds, "Get the Convocation to pass it into an Act, that the Church will not quarrel with us about Habits, Ceremonies, Liturgies, and Ordinations,-the Schism be upon us if we do not conform. We are ready to Conform upon your own Terms; we take you at your own Words; do but perform what you have voluntarily proposed, we are your own."

Lesley having charged the Dissenters with plots against

VOL. I.

governments, Defoe gives him in the above tract, an interesting illustration of their loyalty to the monarchy. "The Dissenters, Sir, have been guilty of more Plots against the Government than you charge them with, and more have been executed for it than you tell us of; for, I assure you, the Author of this wears a Mourning Ring on his Finger, given at the Funeral of Mr. Christopher Love, a Presbyterian Minister, beheaded Anno 1653, for the horrid Phanatick Plot, contriv'd for the bringing in, as they then called him, CHARLES STUART, and the restoring of Monarchy."

In the latter end of the reign of King William the comparative freedom of the press had become very obnoxious to the High Church party; but they were unable to move, as a body, either in Convocation or Parliament, so as to restrain this freedom, and silence their opponents. Pamphlets on both sides were published in 1698, 9, and 1700; but the moderation of the bishops prevented anything more. In the reign of Queen Anne, however, the Lower House of Convocation having Chwisely come to the conclusion that anything contrary to their own views was an attack upon religion, desired the Upper House to use its influence in Parliament for a Bill to restrain

the licentiousness of the press. Ever ready to contend for freedom of thought and discussion, as a mighty agent of progress and safety, Defoe published, or the 7th of January, “An Essay on the Regulation of the Press. Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster. 1704." He was seconded in a short but able tract by Dr. Tindal, entitled, "Reasons against Restraining the Press. London. Printed in the Year 1704."

While the Bill against Occasional Conformity was before Parliament, Defoe had written some further thoughts upon the subject. Leaving the practice of Occasional Conformity entirely out of the question, as a matter of conscience to be settled by the Dissenters themselves, he took his stand upon the foundation of reason, and challenged the advocates of the measure to public discussion. The rejection of the Bill caused him to suppress, for the time, what he had written; but the agitation being kept alive by the High Church party, he changed his resolution early in this year, and published one of