'<g The LIFE of the L Letter tome, thatI might know how they were baffled. Thus I continued in my Liberty of preaching the Gofpel at Bridgenortb about a year and three quarters, where I tookmy Liberty (though.with very little Maintenance) to be a very great mercy tome inthofe troublefome times. g 27. The Parliament being fate, didprefently fall on that which theyaccount- ed Reformation of Church and State, and which greatly difpleafed the King as well as the Bishops. They made many long and vehement Speeches againft the Shipmoney, and againft the Judgesthat gave their Judgment for it, and againft the Et cetera Oath, and theBithops and Convocation that were the former, of it but efpecially againft the Lord ThomacWentworth Lord Deputy of Ireland, and Dr. Laud Archbishop of Canterbury, as the evil Counfellers, who were Laid to be the Caufeofall. Thefe Speecheswere many of themprinted , and greedily bought up throughoutthe Land, efpecially the Lord Falkland,, the Lord Digbie,,Mr.Grim- ftmes, Mr. Finis, Mr. Nash. Fionnes, &c. which greatly increafed the Peoples Ap- _ prehenfion of their Danger, andinclined them to think hardly of the King's Pro- ceedings, but efpecially of the Bishops. Particular Articles of Accufation were ,brought in againft the Lord Deputy, the Archbishop, the Judges, Bishop Wren, BishopPierce, and divers others. The Concordof this Parliament confifted not in the Unanimity of the Perfons (for they were of feveral Tempers as to Matters ofReligion), but in the Compli. cation of the Intereft of thole Caufeswhich they feverally did molt concern them- fibres in. For as the King hadat once impofed the Ship-money on the Common- wealth, and permitted the Bithops to impofe upon the Church their difpleafing Articles, and bowing towards the Altar, and the Book forDancing on theLord's Day, and theLiturgy onScotland, &c. and to Sufpend or Silence abundance of Miniflers that were conformable, for want of this Super-canonical Conformity; fo accoodingly the Parliament confifted of two forts of Men , who by the Con- jun&ionof thefeCaufes were united in their Votes and Endeavours fbr a Reforma- tion: One Partymade no great matter of thefe Alterations in the Church; but they faid, That ifParliaments were once down, and our Propriety gone, and Ar- bitrary Government fet up, and Law fubjeeted to the Prince's Will, we were then all Slaves, and this they made a thing intolerable; for the remedying of which, they faid, every true Englifle Man could think no price to dear : Thefe the People called Good Commonwealth', Men. Theother fort were the more Religious Men, who were alto f nfible of all there things, but were much more fenfible of theIn- terelt of Religion; and thefe molt inveyed againft the Innovations in the Church, the bowing to Altars, the Book for Sports on Sundays -, the Calling out of Mini- fters, the troublingof the Peopleby the High- Commiífion Court, the Pilloring and Cutting off Mens Ears, (Mr. Burton,; Mr. Prins, and.Dr. Baftwick,) for (peak- ing againft the Bishops, theputting down Le&ures, and Afternoon Sermons. and Expofitions on the Lord'sDays, with Rich other things, which they thought of greater weight than Ship-money. But becaufe thefe later agreed with the former in the Vindicationof the Peoples Propriety and Liberties, the former did the eafilier concur with them againft the Proceedings of the Bishops and High Commiflion Court. And as foon as their Inclination was known to the People, all Countreys fent in their Complaintsand Petitions. It was prefently known how many Miniflers Bishop Wren ( and others of them) had fufpended and filenced -; how many thou- fand Families had been driven to flie. into Holland,. and how many thoufand into New-England: Scarcea Minifler had been Silenced, that was alive, but it was put into a Petition. Mr. Peter Smart of Durham, and Dr. Layton (a Scotch Phyficien, who wrote a Book called Sion', Plea againft the Prelates) were;releafed out of their long Imprisonment: Mr. Burton, Mr. Prim, and Dr. Bafbwick, who (as islaid) had been pillored, and their Ears cut off, and they fent into a (fuppofed) perpetualIm prifònnrent into the diftant Cailles of:Gernfey, ferfey, and Carnarvon, were all let free, and Damages voted them for their wrong : And when they came back to London, they were met out of the Cityby abundance of the Citizens, with filch Acclahiations as could not but feem a great Affront to the King, and be much dif- pfeafing to him. The Lord. Keeper Finch and Secretary Windebank fled beyond Sea, and frved themfelves : The guiltyJudges were deeply accufrd, and fumeofthem imprifbned fortheCaleof Ship-money. But the great Difpleafure was againft the Lord DeputyWentworth, and Archbishop Laud : Both thefe were Centto theTower, and a Charge drawn.up againft them, and managed prefently againft the Lord Deputy by the ableft Lawyers and Gentlemen of the Haute. Thisheld them work a
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