77o 2he HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. XI. ff. C642es L This unhappy eontroverfy was managed with great warmth and mu- trn tuai reproaches, though with this decency, that the king did not charge his parliament with criminal defigns, but only a malignant party inboth houles; nor did the parliament reproach the perfon of the king, but laid all thier grievances upon his evil counfellors ; however 'tis eafy to ob- ferve, that it was impoffible the two parties fhould agree, becaufe they reafoned upon different aprinciple; the king fuppouing the nation was in a found (late, and that therefore the laws ought to take their natural courfe ; the parliament apprehending the confiitution broken, and that therefore it was their duty to provide for the public fafety, even without the king's concurrence. But we (hall have more light into this controverfy hereafter. The (cots of To return to the hiflory : though the [cots were made eafy at home, fer their me- bein g in full p offeflion of their civil and religious rights, yet they could diatien. not remain unconcerned fpe&ators of the ruin of the englifh parliament, partly out of gratitude for the favours they had received, and partly from an apprehenfion that the fecurity of their own fettlement, as well as the introducing their kirk difcipline into England, depended upon it. While the king was at Windfor, the fcots commiffioners at London offer- ed their mediation between his majefly and his two houfes: in their pe- tition they tell his majefty, " that the liberties of England and Scotland " mull (land and fall together;" and after fome expreffions of grief for the difiraftions of England, which theyconceive to arife from the plots of the papifls and prelates, whole aim has been not only to prevent any further reformation, but to fubvert the purity and truth of religion; they offer their fervice to compofe the differences, and befeech his ma- jelly " to have recourfe to the faithful advices of both houfes of parlia- " ° ment, which will not only quiet the minds of his englifh fubjeEts, but " remove the jealoufies and fears that may poffefs the hearts of his fub- " jet`ls in his other kingdoms." In their paper of the famedate to both houles of parliament ran. ss. " They return thanks to the parliament " of England for the afliflance given to the kingdom of Scotland in " fettling their late troubles; and next to the providence of God and " his majefly's goodnefs, they acknowledge their obligations to the me- " diation and brotherly kindnefs of the engljh parliament ; and now by "away of return, and to difcharge the troll repofed in them, they of- " fer their mediationbetween them and the king, befeeching the houfes to confider of the fairefi and mofi likely methods to compofe the " differences in church and ftate." Bifhop Burnet fays, their delagn was to get epifcopacy brought down and prefhytery fet up, to the fir,/l of which moll of the members were willing to content, but few were cordial for the latter. The
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