Chap. I. 7 e HISTORY of the PURITANS. 451 " nable and tyrannous, againft the very law of nature, deviled by anti- KingJamesl. " thrift, through the infpiration of the devil, to tempt weak chrillians r " to perjure themfelves, or be drawn in to reveal to the enemies of chri- " flianity thofe fecret religious ads, which though done for the advance- " ment of the golpel, may bring on themfelves and their deareft friends heavy fentences ofcondemnation from the court. CHAP. VI. Concerning the civil magijirate. t. " They hold, that the civil magiftrate ought to have fupreme civil " power over all the churches within his dominions; but that as he is " ° a chriftian, he ought to be a member ofTome one of them; which is " not in the leaft derogatory to his civil fupremacy. 2. " That all ecclefiaftical officers are punifhable by the civil magiftrate, " for the abule of their ecclefiaflical offices; and much more if they in- " triade upon the rights and prerogatives of the civil authority. 3. " They hold the pope to be antichri, becaufe he ufurps the fu- " premacy over kings and princes; and therefore all that defend the popifh " faith, and that are for tolerating that religion, are fecret enemies of the " king's fupremacy. 4. " That all archbithops, bithops, deans, officials, &c. hold their offices and funElions, at the king's will and pleafure, merely jure hu- " mano; and wholoever holdeth, that the king may not remove them, " and difpofe of them at his pleafure, is an enemy to his jiapremacv." Let the reader now judge, whether there was fufficient ground for the calumnyand reproach that was caft upon the puritans of theft; times: But their adverfaries having often charged them with denying the Jhpremacy, and with claiming a fort ofjurifdiction over the king himfelf, they pub - lifhed another pamphlet this fummer, entitled a protejíationof the king's fupremacy, made in the name of the aflic`ied mini/lers, and oppfed to thy jhamefùl calumniations of the prelates. To which was annexed, an bum- ble petition for liberty of confcience. In their proteftation they declare, i. " We hold and maintain the king's fupreracy in all caufes, and over din;;lert " all perfons civil and ecclefaftical, as it was granted to queen Elizabeth, p,ror ftti n " and explained in the book of injun&ions ; nor have any of us been ",n""t`;g " unwilling to fubfcribe and fwear to it. We believe it to be the king' s the k :; f fu- natural right without a fiatute law, and that the churches within hispriuteer6oS. " ° dominions would fin damnably if they did not yield it to him. Nay " we believe, that the king cannot alienate it from his crown, or transfer Mmm 2 "it
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