Chap. IX. 7 e I-1 I S T OKY of tie PURÎTANS. 731 " was taken to place fuch minifters and lecturers in the moft popularK.Chades I. " towns and parithes, as abhorred the prefent government and tempe- =J " rature of the church and (fate; and then adds, I am confident there " was notfrom the beginning of this parliament, one orthodox or learned man " recommended by them to any church in England." Strange ! when fcarce one was recommended who had not been educated in our own uni- verfities, and fubfribed all the do£rinal articles of thechurch of Eng- land! But his majefty's language is more fevere in his declaration of Aug. 12. 1642. --" Under pretence of encouraging preaching (lays andby the " he) they have erefcd leflures in lèverai parithes, and commended lone. " fuch leblurers as were men of no learning nor conffence, but furious " promoters of the moft dangerous innovations ; many having taken no " orders, yet were recommended by members of either houle toparifhes ; " and when mechanic perlonshave been brought before them for preach- " ing in churches, and have confeffed the fame, they have been difmif " fed without punifhment, and hardly with reprehenfion. All perlons " oflearning, and eminency in preaching, and of lober and virtuous con- " verfation, of great examples in their lives, and even fuch as among " thefe men had been of greateft eftimation, and fuffered fomewhat for " them, were difcountenanced, and filch men cherifhed, who boldly " preached againft the government of the church, againft the book of " common prayer, againft our kingly lawful power, and againft our " perfon - Further, a licenfe even to treafon is admitted in pulpits, and " perlons ignorant in learning and underfianding, turbulent and feditious " in difpofition, fcandalous in life, and unconfotmable in opinion to the " laws of the land, are impofed upon parifhes, to infeEt and poifon the " minds of our people." -- What charatker the parliament divines had for learning, for ortho- Reply of the doxy of doftrine, and fobriety of manners, will appear hereafter. The commons. commons in their reply to his majefty's declaration, denied the whole Talton, of this charge, and averred, " that they were careful in their enquiriesp. 265' 27o " into the learning and morality of thofe whom they recommended ; " that they were not for encouraging faftion and fchifm, but for prefer- " ring thofe who were for a parliamentary reformation in church and " frate. That they had fhown their refentments againft mobs and tu- " molts, and againft the preaching of laymen ; ".for when they were in- formed that Mr. Robinfon, Spencer, Banks, Durant, and Green, being sneer laymen, had prefumed to preach publicly, they Pent for them ¡June y.) and reprimanded them by their fpeaker in thefe words ; The boufe bas a great diflafle of your proceedings ; and ifyou offend at any time in the like kind again, this houfe will take care you(hall befevere- ly punted, 5A2 Far
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