Chap. XI. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 775 " tempted to be feized in the parliament honk, the blame of which K. Charles I. " they are willing to impute to his evil counfellors. And though the 1642V " king difavows fuch counfellors, we hold it our duty (fay they) humbly " to avow there are fuch, elfe we muff fay, that all the ill things done " in his majefty's name have been done by himfelf, wherein we fhould neither follow the direction of the law, which fays, the king can do Rathw. " no wrong; nor the affeEtion of our own hearts, which is to clear his P, 692 " majefty as ranch as may be of all mifgovernment, and to lay the fault " upon his minifters. If any ill be done in matters of Elate, the cotan- " cil are to anfwer for it, and if in matters of law the judges. They acknowledge the many excellent alts that his majefty had lately part " for the advantage of his fubjeéts," but then add, " that in none of " them have they bereaved his majefty of any juft, neceffary, or pro- " fitable prerogative of the crown. They declare their difallowance of " all feditious libels, but complain of many mutinous petitions that have " been prefented to the king to divide him from his parliament; and " whereas the king had infinuated, that the church was to be deftroyed " to make way for prefbytery, they aver that they delire no more than " to encourage piety and learning, and to place learned and pious " preachers in all parifhes, with a fufficient maintenance Upon the whole, they aver the kingdom to be in imminent dangerfrom enemies a- " broad, and a popifh and difcontented party at home, and that infiech a " cafe the kingdommull not be without means to preferve itfelf. They aver Ib. 689. " that the ordinary means of providing for the public fafety is in the king " and parliament; but becaufe the king being only a Tingle perfon may " be liable to many accidents, the wifdom of the ftate in fuch cafes has " entrufted the two houfes of parliament to fupply what (hall be want- " ing on the part of the prince, as in cafes of captivity, nonage, oor where "the ROYAL TRUST IS NOT DISCHARGED; which the lordbs, and " commons having declared to be the prefent cafe, there needs no far- " ther authority to affirm it; nor is it in the power of any perfon or court " to revoke that judgment. They then mention Tome proofs of the na- " tion's danger, and conclude withpraying for the protedion of almighty " God upon the king, and befeech his majefty to call from him his evil "counfellors; affuring him and the whole kingdom, that they delire " nothing more than to preferve the purity and power of religion, to " honour the king in all his juft prerogatives, and to endeavour to theut- " molt of their power, that all parifhes may have learned and pious " preachers, and thofe preachers competent livings. And they doubt " not to overcome all difficulties, if the people do not defert them to " their own undoing ; and even in this cafe, they declare they will not " betray their trufl, but look beyond their own lives and ellates, as think- ing
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