278]

This confusion of religions, if, indeed, these pretended modes of faith
could be classed among religions, disturbed the consciences of good men,
who read themselves in and out of their vacillating creed. It made, at
least, even one of the puritans themselves, who had formerly complained
that they had not enjoyed sufficient freedom under the bishops, cry out
against "this cursed intolerable toleration." And the fact is, that when
the presbyterians had fixed themselves into the government, they
published several treatises against toleration! The parallel between
these wild notions of reform, and those of another character, run
closely together. About this time, well-meaning persons, who were
neither enthusiasts from the ambition of founding sects, nor of covering
their immorality by their impiety, were infected by the _religiosa
insania_. One case may stand for many. A Mr. Greswold, a gentleman of
Warwickshire, whom a Brownist had by degrees enticed from his parish
church, was afterwards persuaded to return to it--but he returned with a
troubled mind, and lost in the prevalent theological contests. A horror
of his future existence shut him out, as it were, from his present one:
retiring into his own house, with his children, he ceased to communicate
with the living world. He had his food put in at the window; and when
his children lay sick, he admitted no one for their relief. His house at
length was forced open, and they found two children dead, and the father
confined to his bed. He had mangled his Bible, and cut out the titles,
contents, and everything but the very text itself; for it seems that he
thought that everything human was sinful, and he conceived that the
titles of the books and the contents of the chapters were to be cut out
of the sacred Scriptures, as having been composed by men.[279]

More terrible it was when the insanity, which had hitherto been more
confined to the better classes, burst forth among the common people.
Were we to dwell minutely on this period, we should start from the
picture with horror: we might, perhaps, console ourselves with a
disbelief of its truth; but the drug, though bitter in the mouth, we
must sometimes digest. To observe the extent to which the populace can
proceed, disfranchised of law and religion, will always leave a
memorable recollection.

What occurred in the French Revolution had happened here--an age of
impiety! Society itself seemed dissolved, for every tie o