The history of religion: particularly of the principal denominations of Christians, ... Containing a succinct and genuine account of their original... [pt.4]

"WILLIAM had been invited to England by a coalition of parties, united by a common sense of danger; but this tie being broken, they flew asunder, and each resumed its original prejudices. Their mutual jealousy and rancour revived, and was heated by dispute into intemperate zeal and enthusiasm. Those, who at first acted from principles of patriotism, were insensibly warmed into partizans; and King William soon found himself at the head of a faction. As he had been bred a Calvinist, and always expressed an abhorrence of spiritual persecution, the Protestant Dissenters considered him as their peculiar Protector, and entered into his interests with the most zealous fervour and assiduity. For the same reasons, the friends of the church became jealous of his proceedings, and employed all their influence, first in opposing his elevation to the throne, and afterwards in thwarting his measures. William began his reign with a proclamation for confirming all Protestants in the offices which they enjoyed on the first day of December. Having chose his Council, they resolved to convert the convention into a parliament, that the new settlement might be strengthened by a legal sanction, which was now supposed to be wanting, as the assembly had not been convoked by the King's writ of summons. The experiment of a new election being deemed too hazardous, the Council determined that the King, by virtue of his own authority, should change the convention into a parliament, by going to the house...
This is an edition of a classical book first published in the eighteenth century.