Chap. IX. 7:e HISTöRYof the PURITANS. 699 caufe it is contrary to their ordination -vow ; for when they enter into K. Charles L holy orders they promife to give themfelves WHOLLY to that vocation. i64r. (3.) Becaufe councils and canons in feveral ages have forbid their meddling in fecular affairs. (4.) Becaufe the twenty four bithops depend on the two archbithops, and take an oath of canonical obedience to them. (5.) Becaufe their peerage is not of the fame nature with the temporal lords, beingbut for life. (6.) Becaufe they depend on the crown for tranflation to greater bithopricks. (7.) Becaufe it is not fit that twenty fix of them thould fet as judges upon complaints brought againft themfelves and their order. Bithop ¡'illiama publifhed an anfwer to thefe reafons, intitled the ab- firafl, to which there prefently came out a reply. The chief fpeakers on behalf of the bifhops, in the houle of peers, were the lord vifcount Newark, afterwards earl of Xing/ion, Dr. Williams lord bifhop of Lincoln, afterwards archbifhop of York, the marquis of Hertford, the earls of Southampton, Bath, and Brifiol. But inftead of tranfcribing their fpeeches, I will give the reader a fummary of their arguments, andof their adver- faries reply, Fir/t, It Was argued, that the bifhops had voted in parliament almo grgumentsin aver fine the conque/t, according to Matthew Paris, Sir Henry Spelman favour of the and others. To which it was replied, that time and ufage -ought to be bps. moth the of no weight with law-makers, on the behalf of things which are al- regs N tes. t_ lowed to be inconvenient t Abbots had voted as antiently in parliament as&c. P' sçr, bithops, and yet their votes were taken away. Secondly, It was Paid, that the bifhops voting was no confderable hin- drance to their fpiritual function; for parliaments were to lit but once in three years, and then boot for a month or two together ; that though no clergyman fhould entangle himfelf with the afairs of this life, the apelile does not exclude him from intermedd/ing. Towhich it was anfwered, that the epifcopal fun&ion,if well difcharged, was enough for all their time and thoughts ; and that their diocefes were large enough to employ all their labours, in vifitation, confirmation, preaching, &c. The defign of the apoftle Paul was certainly to exhort Timothy towithdraw himfelf as much as pof able from the affairs of this life, that his thoughts might be more entire for his evangelical work; and therefore in another place he exhorts him to give himfelf WHOLLY to theft things. Thirdly, It was Paid, that clergymen had always been in the commifon of the peace, from thefirft planting of chri/iianity, and that they were bell qua- lified for it. To which it was anfwered, that they were molt unfit for this employment, becaufe it had a dire& tendency to hinder their ufeful- nefs in their pulpits ; and to the fart it was replied, that the firft clergy- 4 U 2 men
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