Boo The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. XII. K. Charles I. " they had for their integrity and piety. Many went into the parliament, 164 2 " and filled up their armies afterwards, merely becaufe they heard men fzvear for the common prayer and bithops, and heard others pray that °`.were againft them : becaufe they heard the king's foldiers with horrid " oaths abufe the name of God, and law them live in debauchery, while " the parliament foldiers flocked to fermons, talked of religion, and " prayed and fung pfalms together on their guards. And all the lober " men that I was acquainted with who were againft the parliament (lays " Mr. Baxter) ufed to fay, the king had the better caufe, but the parlia- + " ment had the better men," Of the puri- The puritan for parliament] clergywere zealous calvinifs, and having tan clergy. been prohibited for fome years from preaching againft the arminians, they now pointed all their artillery againft them, infifting upon little elfe in their fermons, but the do&rines of pred f ination, juftícation byfaith alone, falvation byfree grace, and the inability of man to do that which is good. The duties of the fecondtable were too much negleEled ; from a ftrong averfion to arminianfn thefe divines unhappily made way for an- tinomianifm, verging from one extreme to another, till at length fome of the weaker fort were loft in the wild mazes of enthufaftick dreams and vifions, and others from falle principles pretended to juftify the hid- den works of dífhonefly. The affembly of divines did what they could to put a flop to the growth of thefe pernicious errors ; but the great fear- city of preachers of a learned education, who took part wirh the par- liament, left fome pulpits in the country empty, and the people to be led afide in many places, by every bold pretender to inlpiration. Mr.Baxter's " The generality of the ftrider and more diligent fort of preachers account of 4C (lays Mr. Baxter) joined the parliament, and took fhelter in their gar- them. °' rifons ; but they were almoft all conformable minifters the laws and Baxter's li e y ' P 33, 33, " the bifhops having call out the nonconformifts long enough before, and 37. " not left above two in a county: thofe who made up the afí'embly of di- " vines, and who through the land were the honour of the parliament " party, were almoft all fuch as till then had conformed, and took the " ceremonies to be lawful in cafes of neceßìty, but longed to have that necefíïty removed." He admits, " that the younger and leis expe- " ° rienced miniflers inthe country, were againft amending the bfopsand " liturgy, apprehending this was but gilding over their danger ; but that " this was not the fenfe of the parliament, nor of their principal divines. The matter of bithops or no bithops (lays he) was not the main thing, except with thefcots, for thoufands that wifhed for good bifhops were " on the parliament fide. Almoft all thofe afterwards called presbyte- e' rians, and all, that learned and pious fynodat Weftminfeer, except a very " few,
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