Chap. I. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 4°9 " their paftors; that regifler's places, and others having jurifdiction, dogin8.lamesI. " not put them out to farm ; that fundry popifh canons be reverfed ; . X61 that the length of fuits in ecclefiaftical courts may be reftrained ; " that the oath ex officio be more fparingly ufed ; and licenfes for mar- ,' riages without banes be more fparingly granted. " Thefe things, fay they, we are able to (hewnot to be agreeable to the " word of God, if it (hall pleafe your majefty to hear us, or by writing " to be informed, or by conference among the learned to be refolved." The king met with fundry other petitionsof the like nature, from moft of the counties he paffed through ; but the heads of the two univerfities having takingoffence at the millenarypetition, for demifing away the im- propriations annexed to bifhopricks and colleges, which (lays Fuller) wobld cut off more than the nipples of the breafts of both univerfities in point of maintenance, expreffed their refentment different ways: Thofe of Cambridge paffed a decree, ,une 9th. " That whofoever in the " univerfity fhould openly oppofe by word or writing, or any other way, the doctrine or difcipline of the church of England eflablifhed by law, <.. or any part thereof, fhould be fulpended ipfo faelo from any degree already taken, and be difabled from taking any degree for the future." About the fame time the univerfity of Oxford publifhed an anfwer to the minifters petition, entitled, anAnfwer of the vice- chancellor, ¿allers, dßrañ4 of prollors, andother heads of houfes in the univerfityof Oxford, to thepeti- the anfiver tion of the minßers of the church of England, defiring reformation; de fey ofOx- , dicated to the king, with a preface to the archbifhop, the chancellors ford. of both univerfities, and the two fecretaries of ftate. The anfwer (hews L. òf Whit- the highfpirit of the univerfity; it reproaches the minifters in very fe- gift, p. 567. vere language forfubfcribing, and then complaining; it refleéts upon them as falliousmen, for affelting a parity in the church, and then falls levere- ly on the Scots reformation, which his majefty had fo publickly com- mended before he left that kingdom. It throws an odium upon the pe- titioners, as being for a limited monarchy, and for fubjeéting the titles of kings to the approbation of the people. It then goeson to vindicate all the grievances complained of, and concludes with befeeching his majefty not to fufter the peace of the Elate tobe difturbed, by allowing thefe men to difturb its polity. Look upon the reformed churches abroad (fay " they) and wherefoever the delire of the petitioners takes place, how " ill it fuits with the ftate of monarchy; does it become the fuper-emi- " nent authority and regal perfon of a king, to fubjelt his fovereign " power to the overfwaying and all-commanding power of a prefbytery ? that his meek and humble clergy fhould have power to bind their king inchains, and their prince in links of iron? that is, to cenfure him, and if they fee caufe, to proceed againft him as a tyrant. That Vol.. I. G g g the
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