Neal - Houston-Packer Collection BX9333 .N4 1754 v1

734 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. IX. K. Chaves I. except the (hortening the power of the fpiritual courts, by the aóts for 164x. abolifhing the court of high commigion and liar-chamber ? not one of . the i''''ssr-"1 late innovations were aboli(hed by law ; nor was there any alteration in the liturgy, or form of church government. The foie power of the bifhops in ordination and jurifdiftion remained to be regulated ; nor was there any reformation of deans and chapters ; All which the puritans hoped for and expe&ed. In short, the whole government of the church remained en- tire, notwithftanding the fierce attacks of the commons again it. The at-t for trinnial parliaments will appear not to have been a fufficient fecu- rity to the conjtitution, if we confider how many acts of parliament the king and his arbitrary minifters had broke through the Taft fifteen years; that his majefty had (till the fame principles, and was like to be in the fame hands upon the diffolution of this parliament. Befides, it was faid that thefe laws had been extorted from him by force, and therefore were not binding; and if a parliament fhould be called after three years, that it was diffolvable at pleafure ; fo that in all probability things would have returned to the old channel if the parliament had now diflolved them- felves. Suppofing therefore, but not admitting, that the principal grie- vances of church and Rate had been redreffed, I leave it with the reader, whether in the prefent fituation of affairs, a meet redrefs ofpart grievances was fufficient without forne fecurity againft the return of the like in time to come. Death and Among the remarkable divines who died about this time was Dr. 7obn ehareater ofDavenant bifhop of Sal ury, born in London, and educated a fellow Dave- commoner in Queen's-College Cambridge, ofwhich he was afterwards maf- Aant. ter, and lady Margaret profeffor in the fame univerfity. Hewas a cele- brated calviniß, and one of thofe divines appointed by king lames to re- prefent the church of England at the fynod of Dort, where he behaved with great prudence and moderation ; and upon his returntoEnglandwas preferred to thebifhoprick of Salifburry ; but in the beginningof the reign ofking Charles he became obnoxious to the court, for venturingto preach on the doétrine of predeflination, contrary tohis majefty's declaration, and was forced to make his fubrniflion before the privy council. He was a quiet and peaceable prelate, humble and charitable, a firiftobferverofthe fabbath, an enemy to the pomp and luxury of the clergy, and one who Fuller'swor- lamented the high proceedings of the court. He had a great reputation in tbies, $. II. foreign parts for profound learnin g and an unblemifhed life and after P* R07. he had enjoyed his bifhopric about twenty years, endedhis days in peace and honour, April zo. 1641. a little before thebeginning of the troubles that afterwards came upon the church and kingdom. He died of a con- fumption, and a few hours before his death prayed pathetically for a quar- ter

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