772 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. XI. k. Charles I. " T A. B. dofwearfrom my heart, that Iwill not direblly or indireéily, ICJ c, 1 adhere unto or willingly ajoji the king in this war, or in this The negative" caufe againfl the parliament, nor any forces raifed without confent ofthe oath. " two houfes of parliament, in this caufe or war. And I do likewife !wear, that my coming, and fubmitting myfelf under the power and proteblion of parliament, is without any manner of dejign whatfoever to the pre- " judice of the proceedings of this prefent parliament, and without di- " re, lion, privity, or advice of the king, or any of his council or officers, . " other than I have made known. So help me God, and the contents of " this book." This was called the NEGATIVE OATH, and was voted April 5. 164.a. Numbers of As foon as the correfpondence was thus interrupted, numbers of libel- libellouspan:- lous news -papers, mercuries, andweekly intelligencers, began to appear full fides. of fcandal and reproach, whereby the condu&t of great and wife men was afperfed, innumerable falle reports fpread through the nation, and the fpirits of the people fharpened for war. On the fide of the king was Mercurius .dulicus; and on the fide of the parliament Mercurius Britan- nicus : when the king fixed his court at Oxford, the learned garrifon drew their pens for the king, as the politiciansof London did for the parliament; and while the armies were in the field, thefe gentlemen employed themfelves in celebrating their wonderful exploits to the people; fo that befides the abovementioned weeklÿ papers, there appeared Mercu- rius Rufücus -- Pragmaticus Politicus Publicus . Diur- nals and Intelligencers without number. The pulpits alfo were em- ployed in the fame work ; the preachers dealt too much in politics, and Ruthw, made free with the charaéters and a&ions of their fuperiors: there were P' 76o. incendiaries on both fides ; the king's preachers enhanced his majefly's character, and treated the parliament as rebels and traitors; and the par- liament minifters were no lefs culpable, for though theyavoided fpeaking difrefpectfully of the perfori of the king, they declaimed againft the hie- rarchy, againftevil and popifh counfellors, and glanced at the queen her- felf, as preventing the harmony between his majefty and the parliament, and pufhing him upon meafures that were deftruëtive of the proteftant religion and the conflitution of their country; which how true foever in itfelf, was a fubject very unfit for the pulpit. The
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