638 The HISTORY of the PURITANS . Chap. VI. K.Charles I. ee fatuous perfons, go about to alter the fame as it now flands, and as by 6 °` due right (being fo eftablifhed) it ought to fland in the church of Eng. B. XI. " land." But molt of the bifhops preffed the oath abfolutely on their P. '71. clergy ; and tomy certain knowledge (lays Mr. Fuller) obliged them to take it kneeling, a ceremony never required in taking the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy ; but to fuch extravagance of power did thefe prelates af- pire upon the wing of the prerogative ! The execution The archbifhop was advifed of thefe difficulties by Dr. Sanderfon, al- of them Juf- terwards bifhop of Lincoln, who affured hisgrace by letter, `I That mol- on, " tirades of churchmen, not onlyof the precifer fort, but of fuch as were P. 497. " regular and conformable, would utterly refufe to take the oath, or be e1 brought to it with much difficulty and reluétance ; fo that unlefs by " his majefly's fpecial dire6tion, the prefiing the oath may be forhorn for " a time ; or that a fhort explanation of fotne paliages in it moil liable to exception, be Pent to the feveral perlons who are to adminifter the " fame, to be publicly read before the tender of the Paid oath, the " peace of this church is apparently in danger to be more difquieted by " this one occafion, than by any thing that has happened within our me- '" monies." However this refolute prelate as if he had beendetermined to ruin his own and his majefty's affairs, would relax nothing to the tintes, but would have broken the king's intereft among the conformable clergy, ifthe nobility and gentry with the king at York, had not prevailed with his majefly to lay him under a reftraint by the following letter under the hand of the principal fecretary of Rate. May it plea/s your grace, Nailon, " I Am by his majefly's command to let you know, that upon feveral P. 500. " petitions prefented by divers churchmen, as well in the diocefe of " Canterbury as York, to which many hands are fubfcribed as the mode of petitions now are, againft the oath in the canons made in the lall fyi " nod, his majefly's pleafure is, that as he took order before his coming " into thefe parts, that the execution of neither fhould be preffed on thofé that were already beneficed in the church, which was ordered at the council-board in your graces prefence, but that it fhould be adminfler- o " ed to thofe who were to receive orders and to be admitted ; it is " his majefly's pleafure, that thole fftould be difpenfed with alto, " and that there be no profecution thereof till the meeting of the con- " vocation," York, Sept. 3o. 1640. H. VANE. We
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