Chap. XI. The HISTORY of the NIRIxAxs.. 79]~ " made any propofition to him linee their meeting, concerning uniformi-1z. Charles I. ty of churchgovernment; fo far (lays his majefly) are they_ from de- 1642. tiring fuch a thing, that we are confident the moji çonfiderable perfons, °-j " and thole who made the fair pretenfions to you of that hind, will not "loaner embrace a prefbyterial than you an epifcopal. And truly it feems (notwithflanding whatfoever profeffion they have made to the contra- " ry) that nothing, has been lets in their minds, than fettling the true " religion, and reforming fuch abufes in the church as poffibly may have. " crept in, contrary to the eflabiilhed laws of the land, to which we " have been fo far from being averfe, that we have preffed them to it. " And whenever any propofition (hail be made to us by them, which we (hall conceive may advance the unity of the proteflant religion, ac- " cording to the word of God, or eflablirhchurch-government, accord- " ing to the known laws of the kingdom, we ihall let the world fee " that nothing can be more agreeable to us than the advancing fo good. " a work." Here his majefly explains the uniiirmity he all along intended,, and very juftly obferves, that the parliament no more believed the divine in-- flitution of prefbytery, than others did of diocefan prelacy; for though they were content, in order to fecure the afíifiance of the foots nation, to vote away the power of archbifhops and bithops, yet when they had conquered the king, and had nothing to fear from their neighbours, they could not be prevailed with to eflablifh thefootsprefhytery, without refer- ving the power of the keys to themfelves. Lord Clarendon obferves very juflly, that the parliament were fen- Clarenr. " fble they could not carry on the war but by the help of the flots, Vol. ir:. which they were not to expe& without an alteration of the government P. 117:, " of the church, to which that nation was violently enclined, but that " very much the major part of the members that continuedin the parliament-- "houfewerecordiallyafeEted to the ellablijhed government, AT LEAST NOT " AFFECTED- TO ANY OTHER." But then to induce them to confent . to fuch an alteration, it was faid the f ots would not take up arms without . it; fo that they mutt lofe all, and let the king return as a conqueror, or fubmit to the change. 1f it fhould be faid, this would make a peace with the king impracticable, whofe affeaion to the hierarchy all men. knew ; it was anfwered, that it was ufual in treaties tó ark more than was expefted to be granted ; and it might be, that there departing from their . propofition concerning the church, might prevail with the king to give them the militia. Upon thefe motives the bill to abolira epifcopacywas brought into the whufe and pallid the commons September a. and on. the.:
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