7t) 11e "HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. IX. K. Charles-Ï.Iature; nor are they the reprefentatives of the clergy, becaufe then the ' 6 L ; clergy would be twice reprefented, for as many of them as are freeholders are reprefented with their fellow-fubjeas in the houfe of com- mons; and as clergymen they are reprefented in convocation, the writ of elelion to convocation being, to fend two clerks ad confentiendum, &c. Befides, none can properly be called reprefentatives of others, but fuchas are chofen by them ; the bilhops therefore not being chofen for this pur- pofe, cannot properly be the reprefentatives of the clergy in parliament; they fit there not in their fpiritual character, but by virtue of the baro- nies annexed to their bithopricks ; and if the king with confent of parlia- ment, fhould annex baronies to the courts ofjuflice in We/Iminfier -Hall, or to the fupreme magiftracy of the city of London, the judges and the lord-mayor for the time being, would have the fame right of peerage, ut none of thefe arguments were deemed of fufíricient Weight with the lords to deprive them of their feats in parliament. PM for the The lofs of this bill with the refolute behaviour of the bifhops, who extirpation of were determined to part with nothing they were in pofief ion of, inflam. qo, dean, ed the ronimons, and made them conclude, that there was no hopes of re- andohapters, formation while they were a branch of the le i ature, It was obferved wad prewe y f gf1 darter, that the bifhops were unufually diligent in giving their attendance upon wrought i < wy the houle at this time; and always voted with the Court. Some of the DEdward leading members therefore; in the warmth of their refentments, brought eering. Nalfon, in a bill in purfuance of the Root and Branch petition, which had been p. 248, 295, laid afide for force time, for the utter extirpation of all bi/hops, deans and 800. chapters, archdeacons, prebendaries, chantors, with all chancellors, officials, andofficers belonging to them; andfor the difpo/ing of their lands, manors, &c. as the parliament (hall appoint. A rafh and inconfiderate attempt! For could they expel that the bithops fhould abolifh themfelves ? Or that the temporal lords fhould confent to the utter extirpating an orderof churchmen, when they would not fo much as give upone branch of their privilege ? The bill being drawnup by Mr. St. John, was delivered to the fpeaker by Sir Edward Deering, '`with a fhort fpeech, in which he took notice of the moderation of the houfe in the late bill, hoping that by pruning and taking off a few unnecef3ary branches from the bifhops, the tree might profper the better; but that this foft method having pro.. ved ineffetual, by reafon of their incorrigible òbflinacy, it was now neceffary to put the ax to the root of the tree, " I never was for ruin .. (fays he) as long as there was any hopes of reforming ; and I now " profefs, that if thofe hopes revive and profper, I will divide my fenfé " upon this bill, and yield my ¡boulders to underprop the primitive " lawful and juft epifcopacy." He concluded with a fentence in 'Ovid. Cuvela liPéì; Vol. I. A 372. Nalfon, 'p. 348.
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