Chap. VIII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 68r_ " divided us from the foreign protellant churches, and has done what. K.Chartes I. " it could to bind the nation in perpetual flavery to themfelves and their 164o. " fuperftitious inventions, by the late canons. Further, this govern- " ment has been no lefs prejudicial to the civil liberties of our country, " as appears by the bithops preaching up the doctrine of arbitrary pow- " er, by their encouraging the late illegal projects to raife moneywithout " parliament, by their kindling a war between England and Scotland, "and falling in with the plots and combinations that have been entered " into againft this prefent parliament?' Sir Harry concludes from thefe pre - miles, " that the proteftant religion muft always be in danger, as long " as it is in the hands of fuch governors; nor can there be any hopes " of reformation in the date, while the bithopss havevotes in parliament ; " that thefruit being fo bad the tree mull be bad. Let us not then halt " between two opinions (lays he) but with one heart and voice give glo- " ry to God, by complying with his providence, and with the fafety " and peace of the church and state, which is by palling the root and " branch bill." Mr. ferjeant Thomas gave the houle a long hiflorical narration of the Serjeant vicioufnefs and mifbehaviour of the bithops in the times of popery ; of Naif nas's. their treafonableand rebellious condur t towards their fovereigns ; of their p, 211, ter. antipathy to the laws and liberties of their country; of their ignorance, pride, and addidednefs to the pomp of this world, to the apparent ne- glect of their.fpiritual functions; and of their enmity to all methods of reformation to this day. My. Bagfhaw Rood up to reply to theobjections made againft abolifh_ ing the order of bithops. "'Tis afferted, Pays he, that it is of divine right, which is contrary Mr. Bag- " to the flatute 37 of Henry VIII. cap. 57. which Pays, they have for tbfeet " their epifcopal authority and all other ecclefiaflical jurifdiction and ¡ranch whatfoever, folely and only, by from and under the king, bill. " 'Tis argued, that epi /èopacy is infeparablefrom the crown, and there- " fore it is commonly Paid, no bop no king ; which is very ridiculous, " becaufe the kings of England were long before bithops, and may Rill " depofe them. " 'Tis faid, that epifcopacy is a thirdElate in parliament ; but this I deny, for the three dates are the king, the lords temporal, and the " commons. Kings of Englandhave held feveral parliaments without " bithops ; king Edward I. in the 24th of his reign, held a parliament " exclufo clero ; and in the parliament of the 7th Richard 1I. there is " mention made of the coulent of the lords temporal and the commons, " but not a word of the clergy; fince therefore the prefent hierarchy Vox.. I. 4 S " was
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