ely without parliaments.

Never king mounted the throne of England with greater advantages than
James; nay, possessed greater facility, if that were any advantage, of
rendering himself and his posterity absolute: but all these fortunate
circumstances tended only, by his own misconduct, to bring more sudden
ruin upon him. The nation seemed disposed of themselves to resign their
liberties, had he not, at the same time, made an attempt upon their
religion: and he might even have succeeded in surmounting at once
their liberties and religion, had he conducted his schemes with common
prudence and discretion. Openly to declare to the parliament, so
early in his reign, his intention to dispense with the tests, struck a
universal alarm throughout the nation; infused terror into the church,
which had hitherto been the chief support of monarchy; and even
disgusted the army, by whose means alone he could now purpose to govern.
The former horror against Popery was revived by polemical books and
sermons; and in every dispute the victory seemed to be gained by the
Protestant divines, who were heard with more favorable ears, and who
managed the controversy with more learning and eloquence. But another
incident happened at this time, which tended mightily to excite the
animosity of the nation against the Catholic communion.

Lewis XIV., having long harassed and molested the Protestants, at last
revoked entirely the edict of Nantz; which had been enacted by Henry IV.
for securing them the free exercise of their religion; which had
been declared irrevocable; and which, during the experience of near
a century, had been attended with no sensible inconvenience. All the
iniquities inseparable from persecution were exercised against those
unhappy religionists; who became obstinate in proportion to the
oppressions which they suffered, and either covered under a feigned
conversion a more violent abhorrence of the Catholic communion, or
sought among foreign nations for that liberty of which they were
bereaved in their native country. Above half a million of the most
useful and industrious subjects deserted France; and exported, together
with immense sums of money, those arts and manufactures which had
chiefly tended to enrich that kingdom. They propagated every where
the most tragical accounts of the tyranny exercised against them; and
revived among the Protestants all that resentment against the bloody and
persecuting spirit of Popery, to which