528 fie HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. III. K. Charles I. et general for ecclefiaftical jurifditlion, and are fo hardy as to excommuni- `.a " cate thofe who appear at the courts of the proteftant bilhoÌrs. Almoft " every parifh has a prieft of the Rome communion ; maffes are fame. " times faid in churches, and excepting a few Britifh planters, not a- " mounting to the tenth part of-the people, the refl are all declared recur fants. In each diocefe there are about feven or eight of the reformed " clergy well qualified, but thefe not underflanding the language ,of the cc natives cannot perform divine fervice, nor converfe with theirparilhioners " to advantage, and confequently are in no capacity to put a flop to fuper- " flition. Remarks. Let the reader now judge, whether the an/wer . to the remonjirance be not very evafrve? Could this great ílatefmanbe ignorant of fo many noto_ rims fadts? Was the growthof arminianifm and arbitrary power, a dream? Was any wrong done to himfelf, or his brother of 6'mnchefier, by Paying they countenancedthefe principles ? Was not the increafe of popery both in England and Irelandnotorious, by fufpending the penal laws, ever fince the king came to the crown, and granting the papifts a toleration for fum of money ? Where then was the policy of lulling the nation afleep, while the enemy were encreafang their numbers, and whetting their fwords for a general maffacreof the proteflants, which they accomplifhed in Ire- land about twelve years afterwards. LAUDmade The bifhop obferves in his diary, that this parliament laboured his ruin, bi/hoP of - becaufe they charged him with unfoundnefsofopinion ; but his lordfhip had London. Inch an influence over the king as rendered all their attempts fruitlefs ; for the fee of London becoming vacant this fummer, LAUD was tranflated to it July is. and the duke of Buckingham being flabbed at Portfmouth by Felton, Aug. 23. following, this ambitious prelate became prime mini- fier in all affairs both of church and ítate. One of the bifhop's firft enterprizes, after his tranflation toLondon, was to flifíe thepreclelfinarian controverfy, for which purpofe he procured the thirty nine articles to be reprinted, with the following declaration at the head of them. By the king. King's decks- YO E I NG by God's ordinance, and our juft title, defender of the ration before " faith, &c. within thefe dominions, we hold it agreeable to our the thirty- nine " kingly office, for the refervatian of unity and peace, not to fuffer an articler. é' 1? y P r Bib. Reg. " unneceffary difputations which may nourifh fa&ion in the church or Set 3. " commonwealth : We therefore with the advice of our bithops declare, Ï'/. IV' " that the articles of the church of England which the clergy generally " have fubfcribed, do contain the truedoctrine ofthe churchof England, " agreeable to God's word, which we do therefore ratify and confirm, re- " quiring all our loving fubjeds to continue in the uniform profeflion " thereof,
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