Chap. I. The HISTORY óf the PURITANS. 4zr " the mean time he commanded all his fubjeéts not to publifh any thing KingJamésI. againft the ftate ecclefiaflical, or to gather fubfcriptions, or make fup- '6O3 " plications, being refolved to matte it appear by their chaflifement, how " far fuch a manner of proceeding was difpleafing to him, for he was " determined to preferve the ecclefaaflical ,late in filch form as he found it " efláblifhed by the law, only to reform filch ahzfes as he fhoaldfind ap- " parently proved." The archbithop and his brethren had been indefatigable in pof offing L. of VVhit- the king with the excellency of the englifh hierarchy; as coming near g'fr' P' 57° the praétice of the primitive church, and belt fuited to a monarchical government ; they reprefnted the puritans as turbulent and factious, in- confiderable in number, and aiming at confufion both in church and Elate ; and yet after all, the old .archbithop was doubtful of the event; for in one of his letters to Cecil, afterwards earl of Salifbury, he writes, though our humorous and contentious brethren have made many L. of Whit- " petitions and motions, correfpondent to their natures, yet to my corn- e or, 4pend, 0° fort they have not much prevailed. Your lordfhip, I am fure, does 43 " imagine, that I have not all this while been idle, nor greatly quiet in mind for who can promife himfelf reft among fo many vipers?" The place of conference was the drawing room, within the privy cham- Conferenceat ber at Hampton Court; the difputants on both fides were nominated by Coati t.° "- the king. For the church, there were nine bifhops, and about as many dignitaries, viz. Dr. Whitgift archbithop of Canterbury; Dr. Bancroft bifhopofLondon, Dr. Matthew bifhop of Durham, Bilfön bifhop of Wincholier, Babington bifhop of Worcefter, Rudd bifhop of St. David's, Watpòn bifhop of Chi- cbe/ler, Robinfon bifhop of Carle, and Dove bifhop of Peterborough. Dr. Jndrews dean of the chapel, Overal dean of St. Paul's, Barlow dean of Chefier, Bridges dean of Salifbury, Field dean of Glouce/ler, King archdeacon of Nottingham; befides the tleans ofWorcefler and Windfor. For the puritans were only four minifters, Dr. John Raynolds, Dr. Tho- mas Sparks, profeßbrs of divinity in Oxford, Mr. Chadderton and Mr. Knewflubs of Cambridge. The divines for the church appeared in the habits of their reipedive diftind}ions; but thofe for the puritans in fur gowns, like the Turkey merchants, or the profeffors in foreign univer- fities. When the king conferred with the bifhops he behaved with foftnefs, and a great regard to their charaEter ; but when the puritan minifters ftood before him, inftead of being moderator, he took upon him the place of reffondent, and bore them down with his majeftick fröwns and threatnings, in the midst of a numerous croud of courtiers, all the lords of the council being prefent; while the bifhops ftood by and were little more than fpeétators of the triumph. G g g z They =.,
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