66 best famel ies; the puritanes more than ever discountenanc'd and persecuted, insomuch that many of them chose to abandon their native country, a nd leaYe their dearest relations, to retire into any f01·eigne soyle or plantation, where they might, amidst all outward inconveniences, en ioy the free exercise of God's worship; such as could not flee were tormented in the bishops courts, fin'd, whipt, pillor'd , imprison'd,. and suffer'd to enioy no rest, so that death was better than life. to them; and notwithstanding their pat ient suff'ranee of all these things, yet was not the king satisfied till the whole land were redue'd to perfect slavery. The example of the French king was propouuded to him, a nd he thought himselfc no monarch, so long as his will was confin'd to the bounds of any law; but knowing that the people of England were not pliable to a n arbitrary rul e, he plotted Lo subdue them Lo his yoke by a forreigne force, and till he could effect it, made no conscience of granting aniething to the people, which he resol/d should not obiiege him longer then it serv'd his turne; for he· was a prince that had noLhi.ug of faith or truth, iustice or generosi ty, in him; he was the most obstina te person in his selfewi ll that ever was, and so bent upon being an absolute uncontroulable soveraigne, that he was 1:esolv'd either to be such a king or none. His finne adherence to prelacy was not for conscience of one religion more then another, for it was his princi pie that an honest man might be sav'd in any profession ; but he had a mistaken principle that kingly government in the state could not stand without episcof!all government in the church, and therefore as the bishops. flatter'd him with preaching up his sovcraigne prerogative, and invoying against the pnritanes as f~tctious and disloyall, so he protec ted them iu their pomp and pride, and insolent practises agai nst all the godly and sober people of the land. ' In the first r In notcrt, page 53, it has been shewn that their political, not their religious principles, were the criter ion whereby the king judged the prelates of the church of England . Tl1al the same scn•ed for the church of Rome is shewn pretty clearly in the first
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