Vlll Vol. V. P· 258. ,P R E F A C E. formity they were contending for. 1f his majejly had yielded at firfl what .be did at lafl, with an appearance if fincerity; or, if the t1vo houfes had complied with his concejjzons while Cromwell was in Scotland; or if the army had been made eaf; by a general indulgence and toleration, with the diflribution qfJome honours and bounty-money among the olficers, the crown and conflitution might have been faved; " but Jo many miraculous circum– " fiances contributed to his majeflj's ruin ([ays lord Clarendon), tbat mm " ndght 1vell think that heaven and earth conjpired it. 'The objeClions to the fir!l: volume of the hiitory of the puritans, by the author if the vindication of the government, doCl:rine and wor!hip of the church of England, obliged me to review the principal jaCls in a fmall pampblet, wherein I have endeavoured to difcharge myfe!f as an hiflorian, q;;ithout undertaking the d€fence of their .fevera/ principles, or making my– feif an advocate for the whole of their conduCl. I took the liberty to point out the miflakes of our fir/t riformers, as I pajs'd along, but 1vith no difign to b/a(ken their memories ; for, ~vith all their foibles, they were glorious in/lruments in the hand if providence, to deliver this nation from anti– chri!lian bondage; but they were free to confefs, the work was lift imper– feff ; that they had gone as far as the times qvould admit, and hoped their ji1ccejfors would bring the riformation to a greater petjeffion. But the jfate if tbe contrcverfi was entirely changed in tbe time of. the civil wars; for after tbe coming in if the feats, the puritans did not fight for a reformation if tbe hierarchy, nor for tbe generous principles if religious liberty to all peaceable fubjeCl:s; but for the fame jpiritual power the bi– jhops had exercijed; for 7Vhetz they had got rid if the opprejjion of the JPi– rituo.l courts, under u•hicb they had groaned a/moll j our{core )'ears, they were for jetting up a number of prefbyterian confiO:ories in all the parijhes of England, equally burdenjome and opprejjive. Unhappy extream! <J'hat ~mje and good men jbou!d not diji:over tbe beautiful conjiflency of truth and liberty! Dr. Barrow and others bave obferved, that in the jirfl and purefl ages qf chrijlianity, the churcb bad no coercive power, and apprehend tbat it may /fill fubfifl very qvelf without it. 'The body of proteflant di!Jimtm of tbe prefent age have a jzijl abhorence if tbe per/ecuting jpirit of their predeceifors, and are content that their aClions be jet in a fair light, as a . warning to poflerity. Tbey have no l~Js a dread of r·cturning into the hands if fpiritu al courts, founded on the bottomfe/s deep if tbe canon law, and .fee no reajon why tbey jhould not be equa!~v expqfed, till tbty are put upon a better foot; thougb it is mz unpar– donable .crime in the opinion of fome churchmen, to take notice, even in the mo{t rejpeffjid manner, if the lcafl blemijh in our pre.fent ejiablifhment, which, how valuable foever in itje!f, is allo7ved by all to be capable of amendments. Some little eJ!ays of this kind have fired the zeal if tbe bijhop
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