Chap. I. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 441 caning the extent of the pope's power in temporals, between the learnedKingjames I: of both religions. Cardinal Bellarmin under the feigned name of Tor- ró05 tus, wrote againft the oath, which gave occafion to king yames's apo- logy to all chriftian princes; wherein, after clearing himfelf from the charge of perfecuting the papifts, he reproaches his holinefs with in- King James's gratitude, confidering the free liberty of religion that he hadgranted the apat. p 253 papißs, the honours he had conferredon them, the freeaccefs they had to his perfon at all times, the general goaldeliveryof all jefuits andpapi/ls convi5t, and the /irit5l orders he hadgiven his judges not to put the laws in execution again/t them for the future. All which was true, while the unhappy pu- ritans were imprifoned and fined, or forced into banithment. The par- liament, on occafion of this plot, appointed an annual thankfgiving on the 5th of November, and palled another law, obliging all perfons to cone tö church under the penalty of twelve pence every Sunday they were abfent, unlefs they gave fuch reafons as Ihould be fatisfa&ory to a juftice of peace. This, like a two-edged fword, cut down all feparáts, whether proteftants or papifts. To return to the puritans, the more ' moderate of whom being wil- Puritans un ling to freer a middle courfe, between a total feparation and abfo- willing to fe- lute conformity, were attacked by force of the bithops with this ar- gument. the cburcb. " All thofe who wilfully refute to obey the king in all things indifferent, " and to conform themfelves to the orders of the church authorized by him, not contrary to the word ofGod, arefchifmaticks, enemies to the " king's fupremacy and the flare, and not to be tolerated in church or commonwealth. But you do fo " Therefore you are not to be tolerated in church or common- " ° wealth. The puritans denied the charge, and returned this argument upon their nccufers. " All thofe who freely and willingly perform to the king and Rate all " obedience, not only in things neceffary, but indifferent, commanded by " law, and that have been always ready to conform themfelves to every " order of the church authorized by him, not contrary to the word of God, " are free from all fchifm, friends to the king's fupremacy and to the " Elate, and unworthy in this manner to be molefted in church or com- monwealth. " But there is none of us that are deprived or fufpended from our mi- " niftry, but have been ever ready to do all this; therefore we are free " from fchifm, friends to the king's fupremacy, and moft unworthy of fuch moleftation as we fuftain," Vor,. I. L I 1 This
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