"Towards the end of Charles the Second's reign, the _High-Church-men_ and the Catholics regarded themselves as on the same side in political questions, and not greatly divided in their temporal interests. Both were sufferers in the plot, both were enemies of the sectaries, both were adherents of the Stuarts. Alternate conversion had been common between them, so early as since Milton made a reproach to the English Universities of the converts to the Roman faith daily made within their colleges: of those sheep-- 'Whom the _grim wolf_ with privy paw Daily devours apace, and nothing said.'" _Life_, 3rd edit. 1834, p. 272. I quote this passage partly because it gives Sir Walter's interpretation of that obscure passage in _Lycidas_, respecting which I made a Query (Vol. ii., p. 246.), but chiefly as a preface to the remark that in James II.'s reign, and at the time these party names originated, the Roman Catholics were in league with the Puritans or _Low Church_ party against the High Churchmen, which increased the acrimony of both parties. In those days religion was politics, and politics religion, with most of the belligerents. Swift, however, as if he wished to be thought an exception to the general rule, chose one party for its politics and the other for its religion. "Swift carried into the ranks of the Whigs the opinions and scruples of a _High Church_ clergyman... Such a distinction between opinions in Church and State has not frequently existed: the _High Churchmen_ being usually _Tories_, and the _Low Church_ divines universally _Whigs_."--Scott's _Life_, 2nd edit.: Edin. 1824, p. 76. See Swift's _Discourse of the Contests and Dissensions between the Nobles and Commons of Athens and Rome:_ Lond. 1701. In his quaint _Argument against abolishing Christianity_, Lond. 1708, the following passage occurs: "There is one advantage, greater than any of the foregoing, proposed by the abolishing of Christianity: that it will utterly extinguish parties among us by removing those factious distinctions of _High_ and _Low Church_, of _Whig_ and _Tory_, Presbyterian and Church of England." Scott says of the _Tale of a Tub:_ "The main purpose is to trace the gradual corruptions of the Church of Rome, and to exalt the English Reformed Church at the expense both of the Roman Catholic and Presbyterian establishments. It was written with a view to the interests of the _High Church_ party."--_Life_, p. 84. Most men will concur with Jeffrey, who observes: