788 The HISTORY of the PuturAN s. Chap. Xr. X. Charles I. manders are admitted, and all well enough that way , God Almighty (as ' I hope) will better profiler the caufe. And. another adds, that there isno profecution of priefl or papi/l in Northumberland. When the parliament objeéted this to his majefty, and named the ve- ry officers, he was highly difpleafed, and in his anfwer makes ufe of thefe Ruthw. folemn expreffions. " For that continued difhoneft accufation, of our Vol. It. i` inclination to papifts, which the authors of it in their own confcien- Far 2 gd' " ces know to be molt unjuft and groundlefs, we can fay no more, and " we can do no more to the fatisfaltion of the world That any priefts " or jefuits imprifoned have been releafed by us out of the gaol of Lair- " caller, or any other gaol, is as falle as the father of lies can invent; " neither are the perlons named in that declaration, to whom commit- " fions are fuppoled to be granted for places of command in this war, " fo much as known to us; nor have they any command, or toour know- " ledge are prefent in our army. And'tis ftrange, that our oaths and " proteftations before almighty God, for the maintenance of the protef- " tant religion, fhould be fo flighted We defire tohave our proteffations " believed by the evidence of our aEtions." Surely this folemn appeal to almighty God wasambiguous and eváfive! Or elfe we muff couclude, that his majefty was very little acquainted with what was doné in his name, by his commiffìon. It was only five days after this, that the mafk was thrown oft; for his majefty confefies in his declaration of Ottob. 27. that the malice and fu- ry of his enemies had reduced him to the neceffity of accepting the fervice and affeélion of any of his good fubjeéts, whatfoever their reli- gion was ; that he did know of fome few papifts, whole eminent abili- ties in command and conduit had moved him to employ them in his fervice; but he alines his good fubjefts, that he would always ufe his endeavours to fupprefs their religion, by executing the laws already in force againft paps, and in concurring in any other remedies which his two houles fhould think proper. `Chi parla- As the king was reduced to the neceßity of accepting the fervice and punt o withiheáffeEiion of the papßs ; fo on the other hand, the parliament took all toots, imaginable care to cultivate a good correfpondence with thelots, and to fecure that nation in their interefts. We have remembred that the jeots commiffioners at London offered their mediation in the beginning of the year,, which-the parliament accepted; but the king from hisextreme hatred of the prefbyterian difipline refufed, commanding them to be content with their own fettlement, and not meddle in the affairs of an other nation. The breach between the king andhis two houles growing wider, , the council of Scotland Pent their chancellor. in the month. of May to renew their offers of a mediation between the two parties, which the king
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