526 ?he HISTORY of the PuRTTANS. Chap. III. lc- Charles I. " But to return to the main fabrick, our foundation is arminianifm ; ì62v " the arminians and prcjedors affect mutation ; this we fecond and en- " force by probable arguments. We thew how the king may free him- " fell of his ward, and raife a vaft revenue without being beholden to his fubjells, which is by way of excite. Then our church catholicks Phew " the means how to fettle the excife, which muff be by a mercenary " army of foreigners and germans; their horfe will eat up the country " where they come, though they be well paid, much more if they be " not paid. The army is to confift of twenty thoufand foot, and two " thoufand. horfe ; fo that if the country rife upon fettling the excife, as. " probably they will, the army will conquer them, and pay themfelves " out of the confifcation. Our defign is towork the proteftants as well " as the catholicks to welcome in a conqueror. We hope to diffolve " trade, to hinder the building of {hipping, and to take away the mer- " chant (hips, that they may not eafily light upon the Weft India " fleet, &c. It appears from this letter, that PURITANISM was the only bulwark of the conflitution, and of the proteftant religion, againft the inroads of popery and arbitrary power. Bran f rali- 4. To go on with the parliament's remon/Irance, which complains fur- g;on in Ire- ther of the miferable condition of Ireland, where the popifh religion is land. openly profeffed, and their ecclefiaftical difcipline avowed, monafteries nunneries and other religious houfes re- edified, and filled with men and women of feveral orders, even in the city of Dublin itfelf. The anfwer lays, that the proteftant religion is not in a worfe condition than queen Elizabeth left it ; and adds, that it is a difparagement to the king's government to report the building of religious houles in Dublin, and other places, when the king himfelf hadno account of it. But it feems the parliament knew more of the affairs of Ireland than bifhop Laud; the agents for that kingdom had reprefented the proteftant religion in great danger, by the fufpending all proceedings againft them ever fence the king came to the crown; by this means they were become fo bold, that when lord Falkland fummoned their chiefs to meet at Dublin, 1626, in order to a general contribution for defence of the king- dom againft a foreign invafion, they declared roundly, that they would contribute nothing without a toleration, and liberty to build religious houles; upon which the afi'embly was difmiffed. This awakened the proteftant bifhops, who met together, and figned the following pro- teftation November z6, 1626. THE
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