P A to T I. Reverend Mr. RichardBaxter: 27 Thefe numerous Petitioners alfo were very offenfive to the King, infomuch that once fome ofhis Cavaliers came out upon them armed as they paffed by Whitehall, and catcht fume of them, and cut off their Ears ; and Sir Richard Woman leading them,there was fome Fray aboutWeflminfter-Abbeybetween the Cavaliersand them, and Sir Rkbard Wifeman was (lain by a llone from offthe Abbey Walls. And when at laft the King forfook the City, thefe Tumults were the principal Caufe alledged by him, as if he himfelf had not been fafe. Thus ralh Attempts of Head- ftrong People, do work againR the good Ends which they themfelves intend ; and the Zeal which bath cenforious Strife and Envy, doth tend to Con£ulon, and every evil Work : AndOverdoing is the ordinary wayof Undoing. § 4r. 2. And force Members of the Houfe did cherub thefe Diforders ; and becaufe that the Subje&s have liberty to Petition, therefore they made de of this their Liberty in a diforderly way. When theyhad difgracedShip -money, and the Et cetera Oath, andBowing towards Altars, and filch things as were againR Law, they Ropt not there, but fee themfelves tocaft out the Bifhops and the Liturgywhich were fettled by Law. And though Parliaments may draw up Bills for repealing Laws, yet her: the King hisNegative Voice, and without his Confent they can- not do it ; which though they acknowledged, yet did they too eafily admit of Pe- titions againft the Epifopácy and Liturgy, and connived at all the Clamours and Papers which were againR them. Had they only endeavoured the Eje&ion of Lay Chancellors, and the reducing of the Dioceffes to a narrower Compafs, or the letting upof a Subordinate Difci- pline, and only the Corredting and Reforming of the Liturgy , perhaps it might have been borne more patiently ; but fumeparticular Membersconcurred with the Delires of the imprudent Reformers, whowere for no left than the utter Extirpa- tion of Bifhops and Liturgy : To which purpofe the Lord Brook wrote his Book againR Epifcopacy. And inthe Houfe of Commons Sir Henry Vane endeavoured to draw all up to the bigbe$ Refolutions, and by his Parts and Converfe drew ma- ny (fo far) tohis mind. And alfo thefent of the younger left experienced fort of theMinifters and private Chriftians in the Country, was muchagainit amending the Bifhops and Liturgy, and thought this was but to guild over our Danger, and loft ourOpportunity ; but they were for an utter Extirpation. Though none of all this was the Senfe of the Parliament, yet thofe Members which were of this Opinion didmuch to encourage the Petitioners, who in a diforderly manner la- boured toeffect it. TheBifhops themfelves who were accounted molt moderate (Ufher, Williams , Morton) and many other Epifcopal Divines with them, had before this in a Com- mittee at Wefiminfler, agreedon certain Points of Reformation, which I will give you afterward, though out of the proper place, when we come to our Propofals at the King's Return x66o. But when the fame Men faw that greater Things, were aimedat, and Epifcopacy it felt in danger, or their Grandeur and Riches at theleak, rook of them turned againk theParliament, and were almoft as much dif leafed as others. 142. 3. And the great difhuft which the Parliament had ofthe King, was ano- ther thing which haftened the War : For they were confident that he was un- moveable as to hisJudgment and Affedtions, and that whatever he granted them, was but in defignto get his advantage utterly todeftroy them ; and that he did but watch for filch an Opportunity : They fuppofed that he utterly abhorred the Parliament, and their Adtions againR hisShip-money, hisJudges, Bifhops, 8-v. and therefore whatever he promifed them, they believed him not, nor durit take his word ; which theywere hardened in by thofe former Adtions ofhis, which they called, The Breach ofbee former Promifis. § 43. And the Things on the other fide, which occafioned theirDiffidence, and caufed the War, were thefe following efpecially above all the reit : x. The Ar- mies of the Scots and Englifhdid long continue in the North undisbanded, in their Quarters, till the Parliament should provide their Pay. Some fay other Bufinefs cooled the delay, and force fay that the Parliament was not willing that they fhould be fo loondisbanded ; but the Army of the Englifh wanting pay, was eafily dilcon- tented: And the Parliament fay that the Courtdrew them into a Plot againft the Houfe, to march fudelenly up towards London, and to Maker the Parliament : Di- vers of the Chief Officers were Examined, (Sir Jacob AJEIey, O Neale, Sir Falk Hunch, (my Mother-in -Law's Brother) and many others ; and theyalmoft all con- felfed force fuch thing, that force near the King (but not hehimfelf) had treated with them about bringing up the Army, but none of them talkt of deftroyingor E s forcing
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=