Chap. VIII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 677 'o laws in their behalf made void, and that the government, accord- X. Charles I. " ing to God's word, may be rightly placed among us; and we X640' " your humble fupplicants, as in duty bound, (hall ever pray, &c." The fchedule annexed to the petition contained twenty eight grievan- ces and preffures, the chief of which were, the bifhops fufpending and depriving minitlers for non- conformity to certain rites and ceremonies ; their difcountenancing preaching ; their claim ofjus divinum; their ad- miniflring the oath ex ?fficio ; the exorbitant power of the high commifion, with the other innovations already mentioned. The friends of the eflablithtnent oppofed this petition, with one oftheir own in favour of the hierarchy, in the following words. To the honourable the knights, citizens, &c. the humble petition of &c. Humbly Jheweth, " ° rir H A T whereas of late, a petition fubfcribed by many who Counter le- " pretend to be inhabitants of this city, bath been delivered re- titian for " ceived and read in this honourable houle, againft the ancient, pre- tontinutng " fent, and by law eflablifhed, government of the church ; and that not thy. bierar- " fo much for the reformation of bithops, as for the utter fubverfion and " extirpation of epifcopacy itfelf ; we whofe names are underwritten, to " fhew there be many, and thofe of the better fort of the inhabitantsof this " city, otherwife and better minded, do humbly reprefent unto this ho- " pourable houle, thefe confiderations following, a. " That epifcopacy is as ancient as chriftianity itfelf in this king- " dom. 2. " That bifhops were the chief infiruments in the reformation of " the church againfl popery, and afterwards the moll- eminent martyrs " for the proteftant religion, and fnce, the belt and ableft champions " ° for the defence of it. 3. " That fine the reformation the times have been very peaceable " happy and glorious, notwithftanding the epifcopal government in the " church, and therefore that this government can be no caute of our un- " happinefs. 4. " We conceive that not only many learned, but divers other godly " perlons, would be much fcandalized and troubled in confcience, ifthe " government of epifcopacy, conceived by them to be an apoflolical in- " ftitution, were altered ; and ftnce there is fo muchcare taken, that no e` man fhould be offended in the leaft ceremony, we hope there will be " fome, that fuch men's confciences may not be prefï'ed upon in a matter
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