Chap. X. The HISTORY the PURITANS,. 76 a becaufe they had driven many hundred families out of the land ; and X. Charles I. were upon the whole, enemies to the civil interefts of their country. obferved that moft of them verged too much towards the fee of Rome, and'gave ground to fufpeét that they were defigning an union be- tween the two churches, which at a time when the romans catholicks in Ireland had embrued their hands in the blood of almoft two hundred thou - fand proteftants, and were fo numerous at home as to malee large and public colleEtions of money to fupport the king in his war against the/eats; was fufficient to make every fincere proteftant jealous of their power. Befides the bifhops themfelves had beenguilty of many opprefhons ; they Cofyer's had in a manner laid afide the praétice of preaching, that they might be Ecc. HO. the more at leifure for the governingpart of their function ; though even 0' 820. here they devolved the whole of their jurifdiétion upon their chancellors and under officers. They did not fit in their confiftories to hear complaints, or do juftice either to clergy or laity, but turned over the the people to regifters, proftors, and apparitors, who drew their money from them against equity and law, and ufed them at difcretion. Few or none of them made their vifitations in perfon, or lived in their epifcopal cities; by which means there was no kind of hofpitality or liberality to the poor. Divine fervice in their cathedrals was negleéted or ill performed, for want of their prefence and infpeétion. Inftead of conferringorders at the mo- ther church, they made ufe of the chapels of their private honks, with out requiring the afiiutance of their deans and chapters upon fuch folemn occafions; they pronounced the cenfures of deprivation and degradation in a monarchial and abfolute manner, not calling in the deans and chap- ters to any ¡hare of the adminiftration. And upon the whole, they did little elfe but receive their rents, indulge their cafe, confult their grandeur, and lord it over their brethren. Thefe were the popular complaints against them, which made the citizens rejoice at their downfal, and attend the palling of the bill with bonfires and illuminations. However if all thefe things had not concurred in a nice and critical junÉture of affairs, the at- tempts of the houle of commons would have been in vain ; neither the king nor peers being heartily willing to deprive them of their feats in par- liament. This was one of the Taft bills the king paffed ; and the only IawRuthw. which he enaéted in prejudice of the eftablifhed church. Here his ma- p. 554 jefty made a Rand, and by a mefl'age fent to both houfes, defired not to be preft to any one fingle aét further, till the whole affair of church.go- vernment and the liturgy was fo digefted and fettled, that he might fee clearly what was -fit to remain, as well as what was fit to be taken away. sEa CHAP:
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