Chap. Vi. The HISTORYof thePuRIrANS. 61. The afembly according to their refolution, continued fitting feverál K. Charles I. weeks, tit1 they had gaffed the following aéts ; an ac`ï for difanmbillingfix s638r late of rnblies therein mentioned, held in the years /6o6, r608, 16'w, o iltzs of the t 616, i 617, r 6 r 8, with the reafons ; an at for abjuring and abol- ajfembly. ing epiféopacy ; an aft for condemning thefive articles ofPerth ; an aft for Rulhw. condemning thefervice,book, book áfcanons, book ofordination, and the high t'' 873' common ; an at condemning archdeacons, chapters, and preaching dea- cons; an aft for reßoring prefbyteries, provincial and national ofmblies, to their conflitution ofminejiers and elders, and to their power and jurifdic- tien contained in the book of policy ; withMany others of the like nature. They then pronounced fentenceof depolition againft the bithops; eight of B=limps depe- whom"were excommunicated; four excluded from the minifterial funaion, fed. and two only allowed to officiate as paftors.or prefbyters. Upon this Dr. Spotlwoodbifhop of St. Andrews, and lordhigh chancellor of Scotland, re- tired to London, where he died the next year. Moft of his brethren the bi- took the fame method, onlyfour remained in the country, three of whom renounced their epifcopal orders, (viz. Alexander Ramfeÿ bifhop of Dunkeld, George Graham bifhop of Orkney, and fames Fairby bithop' of Argyle ; but the fourth George Guthery bifhop of Murray, kept his ground and weathered the norm. At the clofe of the feffion the affem- bly drew up a letter to the king, complainingof his majefty's. commit ironer, who had proclaimed them traytors, and forbid the people to pay any regard to their ads; and praying the king to look upon them Rill as his good and faithful fubjeEts. They alto publifhed another declarationto the good people of England, in vindication of their proceedings, which his majefty took care to fupprefs, and iffued out a proclamation againft Ib. p, 786. the feditious behaviour of the covenanters, which he commanded to be read in all the churches in England. 'Twas eafy to forefee that thefe warm proceedings muff iffue in a war, Firfl Scots efpecially when 'tis remembered that his majefty confulted with none but war. the declared enemiesof their kirk, (viz.) Laud, Hamilton, and Wentworth. trod. Prynne's p 1,]], On the 26t1í of Jan. the king:publithed his refolution to go in perfon 178 19.6. againft thefcots covenanters at the head of an army ; for this purpofe the Ruthw. nobility were fummoned to attend his majefty, and all the wheels of P. 84r.. the prerogative were put in motion toraife men and money. Dr. Pierce bifhop ofBath and Wells in his letter to bis clergy, calls it beldam epifcopale, a warfor thefupport of epifcopacy, that they fhould therefore ftir up their clergy to a liberal contribution after the rate of three (billings and ten-pence in the pound, according to the valuation of their livings in the king's books. The archbi(hop alto wrote to his commiffary Sir John Lamb, for a contribution in the civil courts of Doklors- Commons, requi- ring him to fend the names of fuch as refuted to himfelf at Lambeth: 4 K 'z The
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