484. Tie HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. II, KingJamesl. which the greaten number of the latter refufed, there being no penalty, 1618. J except the king's difpleafure : But the vote of the affembly at Perth not being fufl'icient to eftablifh thefe articles into a law, it was refolved to ufe all the intereft of the court to carry them thro' the parliament. This was not attempted 'till the year 1621. when the parliament meeting on the fiat of Tune, the ministers had prepared a fupplication againft the five articles, giving reafons why they fhould not be received or confirmed, and came to Edinburgh in great numbers to fupport it. Upon this, the king's commiffioner, by advice of the bishops and council, iffued a proclamation,, commanding all ministers to depart out of Edinburgh within twentyhours, except the fettled minifters of the city, and fuch as fhould have a licenfe from the bifhop. The minifters obeyed, leaving behind them a protefta. tion againft the articles, and an admonition to the members ofparliament not to ratify them, as they would anfwer it in the dayof judgment. They alledged, that the affembly of Perth was illegal, and that the articles were againft the privileges of the kirk, and the established laws of the kingdom : But the court intereft prevailed, and with muchdifficulty the articles were ratified, contrary to the fenfe.öf the kirk and. nation. This bred a great deal of ill blood, and railed a new perfecution throughout the kingdom, many of the prefbyterian ministers being fined, imprifoned, and banifhed by the nigh commiffion, at a time when by their intereft`. with the people, it was in their power to have turned their talk- maflers out of the kingdom. Thus far king r ames proceeded towards the reflitution of epifcopacyitr Scotland; but one thing was fill wanting to compleat the work, which was a publick liturgy, or book of commonprayer. Several confultations were held upon this head ; but the king being Allred it would occafion an in- furreétion over the whole kingdom, wifely dropped it,leaving that unhappy work to be finifhed by his fon, whole impofingit upon the kirk, without confent of parliament or general affembly, fet fire to the difcontents of the people, which had been gathering for fo manyyears. Selden's re- To return to England. This year the learned Mr. Seiden was fummoned oantation. before the high commiffion, for publifhing his Hiflory of Tythes, in which he proves themnot to be of divine but human appointment; and. after many threatnings, was obliged to fign the following recantation. My good lords, « Molt humbly acknowledge my error in publishing the .1, f ory of : 1. Tithes, andefpecially in that I have at all (by ¡hewing any interpre- '° pretation of holy fcriptures, by meddling with councils, fathers, or t° canons, or by what elfe foever occurs in it) offered anyoccafion of argil- !' ment against any right of maintenance, juredivino, of the ministers of the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=