Chap. M. heHISTORY of the PURITANS. 529 " thereof, and prohibiting the leaff difference from the Paid articles, --- Chariest. K. " We take comfort in this, that all clergymen within our realm have al- 1628. " ways molt wllingly fubfcribed the articles, which is an argument that " they all agree, in the true ufual literal meaning of them ; and that in " thofe curious points, in which the prefent differences lie, men of all " forts take the articles to be for them, which is- an argument again, that " none of them intend any defertion of the articles eftablifhed : Where- " fore we will, that all curious fearch into thefe things be laid afide, and " ° thefe difputes be (hut up in God's promifes, as they be generally fet " forth to us in holy fcriptures, and the general meaning of the articles " according to them ; and that no man hereafter preach or print to draw the article afide any way, but (hall fubmit to it, in the plain and full manner thereof, and (hall not put his own fenfe or comment to the " meaning of the article, but thall take it in the literal and grammatical " fenfe : That if any publick reader in the univerfities, or any other per- " fon, (hall affix any new fenfe to any article, or flail publiçkly read, or " hold difputation on either fide; or if any divine in the univerfities (hall " preach, or print any thing either way, they (hall be liable to cenfure in ".theecclefiaftical commiffion, and we will fee there fhall be due execu- " tion upon them." Surely there never was fuch a confufed unintelligible declaration printed Petition of before ; but the calvinift divines undet(food the king's intention, and com- the catvinifts plained in a petition of " the reffraints they were laid under by his ma- p Yne;t' lefty's forbidding them to preach the favingdoctrines of God's freegrace p. 165. " in eleotion, and predefiination to eternal life, according to the (even,. " teenth article ofthe church. That this had brought them under a very " uncomfortable dilemma, either of falling under the divine difpleafure, " if they did not execute their commiflion in declaring the whole counfel " of God, or of being cenfured for oppofition to his majefty's authority, " in cafe they preached the received doffrines of the church, and attacked " the pelagian and arminian heretics boldly publifhed from pulpit and " prefs, though cenfured by king James as arrogant and atheiftical ; and thofe who avow them to be agreeable to the church of England are " called grofs liars. Therefore they humbly intreat, that his majefty " would be pleafed to take the forementioned evils and grievances into his " princely confideration, and as a wife phyfìcian, apply loch fpeedy remedies " as may both cure the prefent diftemper, and preferve thechurch and Rate " from thofe plagues with which their neighbours had not been a little " difirefed." But this addrefs was ftopt in its progrefs, and never reached the king's ears. VoL. I. Y y y In
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