Chap. VIII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 679 " ably fo much better than that he would abolifh, as may recompenfe K. Charles I: " the lofs we may fuftain, and may be worthy of the hazard we muff cr 4J !' run in abolithing the one, and introducing and fettling of the other; " but this we are confident can never be done, in regard of this parti- cular. " And therefore our humble and earned requeft to this honourable " houfe is, that as well in this confideration, as all the other aforefaid, " we may dill enjoy that government which mod probably holds its in- " ftitution from the apoftles, and mod certainly its plantation with our " chriftian faith itfelf in this kingdom, where it hath ever fince flourifh- " ed, and continued for many ages without anyinterruption or altera- tion ; whereby it plainly appears, that as it is the mod excellent go- " vernment in itfelf, fo his -the molt fuitable, molt agreeable, and eve- " ry way molt proportionable to the civil conftitutionand"temperof this " date.; and therefore we pray and hope, will always be continued and " preferved in it and by it, notwithttanding the abufes and corruptions " which in fo long a trat of time, through the errors or negligence of " men, have crept into it; which abufes and corruptions being all of " them (what and how many foever there may be) but merely accidental " to epifeopacy, we conceive and hope there maybe a reformation of the "one, without a deftruEtion of the other ; " Which is the humble fait " of &c. &c. &c." A third petition was prefented to the houfe, ran. 23. by ten or twelveMini/47.1r- clergymen, in the name of feven hundred of their brethren who had tartan far re- figned it, called the MINISTERS PETITION, praying for a reformationformattón o of certain grievances in the hierarchy, but notan entire fubverfionof it; chy brerar a fchedule of thefe grievances was annexed, which being referred to the committee, Mr. Crew reported the three following, as proper for the de- bate ofthe houfe ; s. Thefecular employments of the clergy. 2. Thefade' power of the bops in ecciefiafiical afairs, and particularly in ordinations and church cenfures. 3. The large revenues of deans and chapters, with'' the inconveniences that attend the applicationof them. Two days after the delivery of this petition [Ian. 25.] his majefty came to the houfe, and very unadvifedly interrupted their debates by the following fpeech ; " --aThere are fome men that more malicioufly than The king in. " ignorantly will putno difference between reformation and alteration of terpofes government : hence it comes to pats, that divine fervice is irreverently " inter-
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