65o 2'hé HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VIÏ. K. Charlesl. cc fynodical ads,, notwithflanding their private diffent ; if my fubfcrip- 1640' cc tion implied any more, I do fo far recant and condemn it in myfelf, 0° and defire pardon both of God and the church, refolving by God's cc grace to be more cautious hereafter." Mr. Wármifire's behaviour (hewed him to be a wife and difcreet clergyman ; and his being fequef- tered from his livings forne time after for not fubmitting to the parlia- ment, (hews him to have been a man of principle not to be moved from his integrity by the refentments ofhis friends, or the flatteries of his ene- Theydifparf. mies. And though the convocation was fo fanguine at their firft coming together, as to defpife Mr. Larmi ire's motion, yet when they faw the vigorous refolutions of the houf of commons againft the canons, and the articles of impeachment againft the metropolitan for high treafon, one of which was for compiling the late canons, they were difpirited, and in a few weeks deferted their flations in the convocation- houle; the bithops alfo difcontinued their meetings, and in a few weeks both honks dwind- led to nothing, and broke up without either adjournment or proroga- tion. Ob./talons of To return to the parliament ; it was argued againft the late convocation, the commons that they were ïio legal of embly after the diffolution of the parliament; that darns the his majefly had no more power to continúe them than to recai his parlia- lare convoca- ment; nor could he by his letters patents convert them into a national or tton. provincial fynod, becaufe the right of their eleétion ceafing at the expira- tion of the convocation, they ought to have been re-chofen before they could aft in the name of the clergy whom they reprefented, or bind them by theirdecrees. 'Tis contrary to all law and reafon in the world, that a number of men met together in a convocation, upon a fummons limited to a certain time, fhould after the expirationof that time, by a newcommil- fton, be changed into anational or provincial fynod, without the voice or eleflion of any one perfon concerned. The commons were therefore at a lofs by what name to call this extraordinary affembly, being in their opinion neither convocation nor fynod, becaufe no reprefentative body of the clergy. The words convocation and fynod are convertible terms, fig_ nifying the fame thing, and 'tis efTential to both that they be chofen by (if they are to make conf;itutions and canons to bind) the clergy. Some indeed have thought of a fmall diflinflion, as that a convocation muf begin and end with the parliament, whereas a fynod may be called by . the king out of parliament, . but then fuch an affembly can't give fubfi: dies for their brethren, nor make laws by which they will be bound. And againft The objeétions to the particular canons were thefe r. thecanons. I. Againft thefirfl canon it way argued, that the compilers of it had invaded the rights and prerogative of parliament, by pretending to fettle
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