Chap.. VIII. The H IS TOR _Y -ofthe PuRI T ANS. 40 Z no more. zeal, no more confcience, but meer faction and divifon ; aeen "-and therefore though the Rate were compelled to hold fomewhat a Elizabo2. eth, s6 °° harder hand to reflrain them than before, yet was it with as great mo- ciJ " deration as the peace of the ítate or church could permit. Thus her ". majeftÿhas always obferved the two rules before - mentioned, in dealing " tenderly with confciences; and yet in difcovering faction from confcience, " and foftnefs from fingularity." The falfe colourings of this letter are eafily difcerned : It admits that Remark. the confciences ofmen ought not to be forced but when they grow intofaelion; that is, to an inconfiftency with the peace and fafety of the civil go- vernment ; and was there any thing like this in the petitions, addrefïes; and fubmiffwe behaviour of the puritans ? But they did not attend the content of the magJrate. Let the reader judge by the foregoing hiftory, whether they did not attend and apply for it feveral years ; and if after all, the confect of the magrate muff be waited for before we follow the dktates of our confciences, it is eafy to fee there would have been no reformation in the proteflant world. But the queen's worft maxim was that while the pretended not to force the confciences of her fùbjetls; Jhe obliged them under the feverjl penalties to come to church, and make an outward profeion of that way of worfhip which they inwardly difal- lowed. This was to eftablifh hypocrify by a law, and to force men to deal falfly with God, and their own confciences, in matters of the molt folemn importance. Praltical religion was all this reign at a very low ebb'; the greateft Ofprat7icat part of the clergy being barely capable of reading prayers and a homily. religion. In the remoter countries and villages the people were either papifts, or no better than heathens. " If anyamong the clergy or laity were re- " markably pious, ftricl obfervers of the fabbath, and declared enemies " of prophanenefs, -and popery (lays Mr. Ojburn), they were either real puritans, or branded with that invidious name ; and great numbers of the inferior clergy and people in cities and corporations, were " of this number :" The conforming clergy loft ground; and the order of bifhops, by fpending their zeal more about the external forms of worfhip, than in painful preaching and encouraging practical religion, grew into contempt ; popery gained ground in the country, by the di- ligence of the miffionaries, and the ignorance and lazinefs of the efta- blifhed clergy ; whilfl puritanifm prevailed in cities and corporations : So that as archbifhop Parker obferved, the queen was the only friend of the church ; and fupported it by a vigorous execution of the penal laws, and by refolving to admit of no motion for reformation, but what fhould arife from herfelf. Vora. I. F f f Thus
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=