Chap. X. 7ZeHISTORYof tie PURITANS. 761 when he had been preffed to it his majéfly had faid, it was a matter °fit. Charles I. great concernment, andtherefore he would take time to confider ; how- 'b ever the commons not content with this delay fent again to Windfor, to preis his compliance upon the following reafons ; " becaufe the fuhjeEts " fuffered by the bifhops exercifing temporal jurifdittion, and making a party in the houfe of lords; becaufe it was apprehended that there Arguments " wouldbe a happy conjnn&ion of both houles upon theexclufion of the fapQleaking " bithops ; and the figning this bill would be a comfortable pledge of " his majefty's gracious affent to the future remedies of thofe evils'which " were to be prefented to him." This meffage from the houfe of commons was feconded by thofe of greateft truft about the king, who argued " that the combination againft Claies'. " the bifhops was irrefiflible ; that the paffing this bill was the only way Vol. I. " to preferve the church ; and that if the parliament was gratified in this, P' 427. fo many perlons in both houles would be fully fatisfied that they would " join in no further alterations; but if they were crofl-ed in this, they " ° would endeavour an extirpation of the bithops, and a demolifhing of " the whole fabric of the church." They argued further, " that force " or indirect means having been made ufe of to obtain the bill, the king " might by his power bring the bithops in again when the prefent diftem- " pers were compofed." An argument by which his majefty might have let afide all his conceffions or acfts ofgaace (as he was pleafed to call them) to his parliament at once. But none of thefe reafons would have pre- vailed, had not the queen madeufe of her fovereign influence over the king. Her majefty was made to believe by Sir 7. Culpeper, that her own pre- fervation depended upon the king's confent to the bill; that if his majef- ty refuted it her journey intoHolland would be ftopt, and her perfon pof- fibly endangeredby fome mutiny or infurreétion ; whereas the ufing her intereft with the king, would lay a popular obligationupon the kingdom, and make her acceptable to the parliament. Thefe arguments carrying a face of probability, ber majefly wrefted the king's refolution from him, fo that the bill was figned by commiflion Feb. 14. together with another Kingpflia againft preffing foldiers, his majefty being then at Canterbury, accompa- it. nying the queen in her pafTage to Holland. But his majefty's figning them Ruthw with fo much reluctance did him a difiervice. All men took noticeof P. 552' his difcontent ; and lord Clarendon Pays, he has caufe to believe that the Vol. L king was prevailed with to liign them, becaufe he was told that there being p. 427, 430. violence and force need to obtain them, theywere therefore inthemfelves null, and in quieter times might eafzly be revoked and difannulled. A dangerous doctrine as it may tend to overthrow the molt eftablifhed laws of a coun- try ! To give the reader the ata itfelf, VOL. L 5 E Whereas
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