fir¢ ?he HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. IX. K. Charles f. t" fiaflical affairs relating to the Rate of the church in general of " tablifhed. ' Other recon- Several others propofals were made to the houfe of commons by thofe clingfebemespuritans, who were for revifing and altering fome things the church, Na but not for ROOT AND BRANCH ; as, that his majefly flat, tld be too- F." 3' ved to call a national fynod, or a fete t number of divines or the three nations under his majefly's government ; with an intimation to all re- formed churches to fend their deputies, to fettle a uniform model of government for the church of England, to be confirmed by parliament, leaving to other nations a chriftian liberty in thofe forms of difcipline which are mote agreeable to their civil government. Others propofed, "" That the prefent liturgy might be continued, but " that the apocryphal leffons be entirely omitted ; that all fentences.of " holy fcripture be according to the laft tranflation ; that the word " minsIer be ufed inflead of prig; with tome other amendments " That with regard to epifcopal government, bifbops be obliged to con- " fiant preaching in their metropolitan or parochial churches that " they never ordain without content of three or four prelbyters at leafl;, " -- that they do not fufpend by their foie authority, but with con- " tent of prefbyters, and that for weighty caufes; that none may " be excommunicated but by the bithop himfel£, with content of the " pallor in whofe parifh the delinquent dwells ; and that for heinous, " and very feandalous crimes only.-- That the fees of eeelefiaflical " courts be regulated, and that bithops, chancellors, and their officials,, " may be fubjec`t to the cenfure of provincial fynods and coevo "" cations. The commit- But all thefe attempts for accommodation were bladed by the fliff -" -. tee efaccom- nets of the bithops, and by the difcovery of the plot to bring the army, modat;on to London to diffo t lve the parliament; this put the nation into a fermen and widened the diftance between the king and the two houfes, upon which the committee broke up about the middle of May, without bring- ing any thing to perfehìion. Mr. Fuller has obferved very juflly, " That the moderation and mutual compliance of thefe divines, might " have Paved the body ofepifcopacy, and prevented the civil war ; but " the court bifkops expe&ed no good from them, fufpefting the doe,. trinal puritans (as they nick- named, thofe bithops and epifcopal di- " vines) joined with the difciplinary puritans,, would betray the church. " between them. Some hot fpirits would abate nothing of epifcopal. " power or profit, but maintained, that the yielding any thing was "" granting the day to the oppofite party." 'Tis the obfervation of another learned writer, . upon the committee's agreeing to have the pfal"ms ha the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=