Chap. Ill. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. $2I they [the comtniffaries for the high commiflionJ had informed the bifhop K. Charles I. then at Bugden, of feveral of the factious puritans in his diocefe who would not come up to the table to receive the communion kneeling ; of their keeping unlawful fails and meetings ; that one faft held from eight in the morning till nine at night ; and that collections for money were made without authority, upon pretence for the Palatinate : that therefore they had defired leave from the bifhop to proceed againft them ex officio ; but thebifhop replied, that he would not meddle againft the puritans, that for his part he expected not another bifhoprick; they might complain of them if they would to the council table, for he was under acloud already. lie had the duke of Buckingham for his enemy, and therefore would not draw the puritans upon him, for he wasPure they wouldcarry all things at daft. Befides he Paid, the king in the firft year of his reign, had givenan- fwer to a petition of the lower houle at Oxfordin favour of the puritans. It appeared by the information of others, that Lamb and Sibthorp preffed the bifhop again to proceed againft the puritans in Leicellerfhire; that the bifhop then asked them, what fort of people they were, and of what condition ? To which SirohnLamb replied, in the prefence of Dr. ,Sibthorp, " that they teemed to the world to be Inch as would not fwear, " whore, nor be drunk, but yet they would lye. cozen, and deceive ; " that they would frequently hear two fermons a day, and repeat the fame " again too, and afterwards pray, and that fometimes they would faft all " day long, Then the bifhop asked whether the places where thofe puritans were, did lend money freely upon the colle&ion for the loan ? To which Sir yohn Lamb and Dr. Sibthorp replied that they did. Then faid the bifhop, no man ofdifcretion can fay, that that place is a place of puritans: For my part (laid the bishop) I am not fatisfied to give way to proceedings againft them ; at which Sibthorp wasmuch difcontented, and Paid he was troubled to fee that the church was no better regarded. This information being tranfmitted to the council, was fealed up for the pre- tent, but was afterwards with fome other matters, produced againft his lordfhip in the liar-chamber, as will be feen hereafter. Though the king was at war with Spain, and with the houle of,1u/tria, War witt and (if I may be allowed to fay it) with his own fubjects, though he had France. no money in his Exchequer, and was at the greateft lofs how to raife any ; yet he fuffered himfelf to be prevailed with to enter into a new war with. France,under the colourofmaintaining the proteftant religion in that coun- try, without fo muchas thinkingof ways and means to fupport it. But when one confiders the character of this king and his miniftry, it is hard to be- lieve that this could be the real motive of the war ; for his majefty and his whole court had a mortal averfion to the French hugonots. Bucking.. Rapin.p.rrq, ham had no religion at all; Wefon and Conway were catholicks ; Laudand Vor,.I. Xxx Neile
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