How did the burning of A Political Romance affect Laurence Sterne's prospects in the church?

The publication of A Political Romance (later titled The History of a Good Warm Watch-Coat) in 1759, which served as a satire of dignitaries within the spiritual courts, led to significant professional consequences for Laurence Sterne. Because the work embarrassed various churchmen, they demanded that the book be burned. As a result of this controversy, Sterne lost his prospects for further clerical advancement within the church.1

However, this setback proved to be a turning point in his life. By effectively ending his hopes for a traditional ecclesiastical career, the incident allowed him to shift his focus toward his literary talents, leading him to begin his famous novel, Tristram Shandy.1