Parc ill. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 167 three Minif-ers pray and preach his heart was melted, and with Tears, he lament - ed his fort= tom fe, and particularly his Accuftng me , and feemeth refolved for a new reformed Courfe of Life , and is retired from bis former Company to that end. Anda third (the chief) of the Informers lately in the Streets with great kindnefs to me , profelfed that he would, meddle no more (coming by whena halfdiftraftéd Fellow had Struck me on the head with his Staff, and furioufy revi- led atme for Preaching, with the titles ofRogue , Villain, Hypocrite . Traytor, c'rc. ( as the Prelatifts and Papifts oftendo. ) S. 293. TheParliament meeting Apr. 13. they fell firft on the D. of Lauderdale, renewing their delire to the King, to remove him from all publick Enpployment and Trait: His chief acculiagWitnefs was Mr. Burnet, latePublick- ProfeßbrofTheo- logic at Glafcoro, who Paid, That he askthim whether the Scots Army would conic intoEngland, and faid ; What if theDiffenting Scots Ihould Rife an frith Army fhould cut their Throats, dc. But becaufe Mr. Burnet had lately magnified the Paid Duke in- anEpifrle before a pablithed book many thought his witnefs now to be more unfavoury and revengefull : Every one judging as they were affefted. But the King rent them Anfsver, That the words were fpoken before his late Aft, of pardon , which if he fhould Violate it might caufejealotfies in his Subjeas, that he might do fo alfo by the Aft of Indemnity. §. 294.. Their next Allaultwas againft the Lord Treafurer , who found more Friends in the Houfeof Commons, who at lait acquitted him. S. 295. But the great work was in the Houfe of Lords, where an Aft was brought in to impofe fuck anOath on Lords , Commons and Magiltrates, as is Impofed bythe oxford-Aft of Confinement ou Minifter,, and like the Corporation- Oath (ofwhich more anon.) It was now fuppofed that the bringing the Parlia- ment under thisOathand Teftwas thegreat workwhich theHoufe was to perform: TheSumm was That none Commiffioned by the King maybe by Arms refilled , and that they would never endeavour anyalterationof the Government ofChurch orState. Many Lords fpake vehemently againft it, as deftractive to the Privileges of their Houfe , which was toVote freely, and not tobe preobliged by an Oath to the Prelates : The Lord Treafurer, the Lord Keeper with Bithop Morley and BithopWard, were the great Speakers for it, And the Earl of Shaftsbury Lord Hollis, the Lord Hallifax, the D. of Buckingham, the. Earl of Salisbury, the chief Speakers againft it : They that were for it, being the Major part, many of the cell Entered their Proteltation againft it TheProtefters the firft time ( for they protefted thrice more afterward) werethe Duke of Buckingham, the Marquefs ofW7ncbefter, the Earls ofSalisbury, Brifiol, Barkfhire, § 296. TheProtefting Lords havingmany days driven againft the Ted, and be, ing overvoted, attempted tojoyn to it an Oath for Honefty and Confcience in thefe words. " [I do fwear that I will never by threats, injun&ions, promifes, or invita- " tions, by or-from arty perfon whatfoever, nor from thehopesor profpeftsof any " gift, place, office, or truft whatever, givemy vote, other than according to my opinion andconfcience, as I (hall be truly and really perfwaded upon the debate " of any bufinefs in Parliament]. But the Bithops on their fide did cry itdown and calfit out. § 297. TheDebatingof this Text did more weaken the Intereft and Reputati- on of the Bithops with the Nobles, than any thing that ever befel them fence the King camein; fo much clothunquiet overdoing tend to. undoing. The Lords that would not have heard a Nonconformifl fay half fo much, when it came to be their own cafe, did long and vehemently plead againft that Oathand Declaration as im- poledon them, which they with theCommons had before impofed on others. And they exercifed fomuch liberty for many days together in oppofing the Whops, and free andbold fpeechesagainft their Ted, as greatly turned to the Bilhops Difpa- ragement, efpecialiy the Earl of Sbahtsbury, the Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Brifiol,-the Marquefs of Winchefler, the Earl of Salisbury, the Lord Hollis, the Lord Flallifax, and the Lord of Alesbury. Which fet the Tongues of Menat fo much liberty, that the common talk was againft the Bithops : And they raid, that upon Trial, there were fo few found a- mong all the Billions that were ableto fpeak to purpofe ( Bithop Marley of Win. ebefter, and BithopWardof Salisbury being their chiefSpeakers) that they grew very low alfo , as to the.Reputation of their parts. §. 29S, That
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