Chap. VII. The HISTORY of tbae PURITANS. . 647 canonsof the late convocation ; feveral warm fpeeches were madeagainst K.Charles 7.. the compilers of them, Nov. 9. and among others lord Digby, who was r64o. as yet with the country party, flood up and faid, " Does not every Speed h sa-' " parliament-man's heart rife, to fee the prelates ufurping to themfelvesgain the the grand pre-eminence of parliaments ? the granting fubfidies underlotecanons.: " the name of a benevolence, under no lefs a penalty to them that re- " fufe it, than the lofs of heaven and earth; of heaven by excommuni- " cation, and of earth by deprivation,, and this without redemption by " appeal ? What good man can think with patience, of fuch an en- " boating oath, as that which the new canons enjoin to be taken, by "dninifters, lawyers, phyficians, and graduates in the univerfity, where " befides the (wearing fuch an impertinence, as that things neceffary to " falvation are contained in difcipline ; befides the fwearing thofe to be " of divine right, which among the learned was never pretended to, as " the ARCH things in our hierarchy; befides the fwearing not to con- " Pent to the change of that, which the date may upon great reafons, " think fit to alter; befides the bottomlefs perjury of an Et Cætera ; be- " fides all this, men muff (wear that they fwear freely and voluntarily " what they are compelled to; and laftly, that they fwear to the oath: " in the literal fenfe, whereof no two of the makers themfelves,. that " I have heard of, could ever agree in the underftanding." Sir B. Rudyard, Sir 7 Culpeper, Sir Edward Deering, Sir Harbottle Grimflone, fpoke with the fame warmth and fatyrical wit, for difcharg- ing the canons, difmounting them, and melting them down; nor did any gentleman Rand up in their behalf but Mr. Halbourn, who is Paid to snake a fpeech of two hours in their vindication ; but his arguments, made no impreffion on the houle, for at the clofe of the debate acom- mittee of twelve gentlemen, among whom were Mr. Selden, Maynard, and Coke, was appointed to fearch for the warrants by which the con- vocation was held, after the parliament broke up, and for the letters patents of the benevolence, and for fuch other materials as might aflìft the houle in their next debate upon this argument, which was appointed for December a4. when force of the members would have aggravated the crime of the convocation to high treafon, but ferjeant Maynard and Mr. Bag/haw moderated their refentments, by convincing them that they were only in a prmmunire. At the dole of the debate the houfe came to the following refólutions_ Refolved nem.. contradicente; " That the clergy of England convened R`efolutiòns, ".in any convocation or fynod, or otherwife, have no power to make aga," then,. cc. s.6.. any conftitutions canons or aéts whatfoever; in matters of doEtrine Dec. ss, " difcipline; or otherwife, to bind the clergy or laity of the lands with- " out confent. of parliament.. Reflved,
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