viii "and jurisuiction, from bishops, extending to civil penalties, &c." It was not till after they saw the extreme pertinaciousness of the king to retain the bishops as instruments at a future opportunity for remounting his system of arbitrary sway, and that " the prelatical " party about him prevailed with him to refuse an accommodation, "and hazard 'his crown and life, rather than diminish their great- " ness and power to persecute others," that they insisted on the abolition of the order.' 1L was quite a different party, that of the rigid Presbyterians, and peculiarly their ministers, "who cried ou~ " against the tyranny of the bishops on ly that they might get the " power into their own hands, and, without the name, might exer- " cise the authority ' of popes." That, i'nstead of this power being irrevocably and immoveably established over us, we are now governed by the mildest chmch discipline in the universe, we owe to these Independents!· Col. I-Iutchinson in particular, if he had lived in times like ours, " when bishops anu ministers desire only to. " be helpers,' not lords over the consciences of God's people," would either have been a conforming member of the church of England, or at most have on ly dissented from it in few things, and that with modesty and moderation. For it is well worthy of notice that, after having suffered provocation and persecution from cathol ic, episcopalian, and presbyterian, when power came into his own hands, he treated all with lenity, and to the worthy persons of all sects and parties extended his protection. "\Ve have next to consider a part of the conduct of Col. Hutchinson wh ich will be the most generally blamed, and is the least capable of defence, the condemnation of Charles the Firs t. To r The words of \Vbitelock, p. 340, where he regrets that the king's chaplains pre- ~ailed with him beyond the parliament's commissioners or his own judgment. g Vide Letter of lrving laird of Drum, and his appeal to Col. Overton; Whitelock, p. 526. "' Words of Cromwe1l in his letter to Scots ministers,_Whitelock, p. 473.
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