Chap. VIII. The HISTORYof the PURtrANS. 685 " their ink and blood, as well as our late reformers, were all bithops ; K. Charles I. " and even now, in this great defeEtion'of the order, there are Tome that 7640 " have been neither proud nor ambitious; fome that have been learned " oppofers of popery, and zealous fuppreffers of arminianifm, between " whom and the inferior clergy there has been no diftincLion in frequent " preaching; whole lives are untouched, not only by guilt, but by ma- " lice ; I fay if we confider this, we shall conclude, that bifhops may " be good men, and let us but give good men good rules, and we fhall " have good government and good times. " I am content to take away from them all thofe things which may " in any degree of poffibility, occafion the like mifchiefs with thofe I " have mentioned ; I am fu re, neither their lordfhips, their judging of " tithes, wills, and marriages, no nor their voices in parliament, arejure " divino. If their revenues are too great, let us leave them only fuch proportion, as may ferve in fume good degree, for the fupport of the <, dignity of learning and encouragement of fludents. If it be found " they will employ their laws againft their weaker brethren, let us take " away thofe laws, and let no ceremonies which any number count un- " lawful, and no man counts neceffary, be impofed upon them ; but " let us not abolifh, upon a few days debate, an order that has lafted in moft churches there fixteen hundred years. I do not believe the order " of bifhops to be juredivino, nor do I think them unlawful; but fince " all great changes in government are dangerous, I am for trying if we " can't take away the inconveniencies of bifhops, and the inconvenien- cies of no bithops. Let us therefore go upon the debate ofgrievances,. " and if the grievances may be taken away and the order Eland, we fhall " not need to commit the London petition at all ; but if it fhall appear " that the abolition of the one can't be but by the deftru&ion of the " other, then let us not commit the London petition but grant it." Lord George Digby an eminent royalift, fpoke with great warmth. againft the RooT AND BRANCrS petition, and with no lefs zeal for a reformation of grievances. Ld. Digby's " If theLondon petition (fays his lordfhip) may be confidered only asfPeech 011 the " an index of grievances, I fhould wink at the faults of it, for no man f°e Ede " within thefe walls is more fenfible of the heavy grievances of church'P pmm , " government than myfelf; nor whole affefbons are keener for the clip- " ping thofe wings of the prelates, whereby they have mounted to fuch " infolence ; but having reafon to believe that fome aim at the total ex- " tirpation of bithops, I can't reftrain myfelf from labouring to di- " vert it. " I look kgramwtr
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=