Chap. IV. 7/;e HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS, 109 would read no form, and others would ufe one of their own. In order K. Charles I. therefore to give life to the diref!ory, the parliament next fu:n~er called ~J in all common prayer-books, and 1mpofed a fine upon thofe m1mllers who {hould read any other form than that contained in the diretlory. The ordinance is dated Aug. 23. 1645. and enaCts, that "the knights and bur- Ordinance. " gelfes of the feveral counties in En"'land and Wales, !ball fend printedfihor ~io:;mf.g • • <:> • • t e u 1 e ry t 'JC " books of the dtretlory fa~rly bound to the committee of pariia- directory. " ment in their feveral counties, who !ball deliver them to the officers Rufhw. p. ,, of the feveral parifhes in England and Wales, by whom they fhal.l be yarf iv. " delivered to the feveralminifters of each pariil1. It ordains further, that the p. 0 2 ' 05 '. " (everal minifters next Lord's day after their receiving the book if the di-- " retlory, fhall read it openly in their refpeftive churches before morning " fermon. --It then forbids the ufe of the common-prayer-book in '' any church, chapel, or place of public worlbip, or in any private place " or family, under penalty of five poi.Jnds for the-firft offence, ten for " the fecond, and for the third a years imprifonment. Such minifters " as do not obferve the diretlory in all exercifes of public woril1ip fhaH " forfeit forty !billings; and they who with a deGgn to bring the direc- " tory into contempt, or to raife oppo!ition to it, !hall preach, write, or " print any thing in derogation of it, 1nall forfeit a (um of money not '' under five pounds, nor more than fifty, to be given to the poor. " All common .prayer-books remaining in pariil1 churches or chapels, " are ordered within a month, to be carried to the cbmmittee of the " feveral counties, to be difpofed of as the parliament !ball direCt." Thefe were the firft fruits of pre!byterian uniformity, and are equally Remarks. to be condemned with the feverities and opprefiions of the late times; for though it i11ould be admitted, that the parliament or legillature had a right to abrogate the ufe of the common-pra)'er-book in churches, was it not highly unreafonable to forbid the reading it in private families or clofets? Surely the devotion of a private family could be no difl:urbance to the public; nor is it any excufe to fay, that very few fuffered by it, becaufe the law is fiill the fame, and equally injurious to the natural rights of mankind. Though his majefty's affairs were very defperate after the battle of King fOrbids Najeby, yet he had the courage to forbid the ufe of the new direOlorv Rthe ufe of it~. d . . h . f h .n uihw an enJ0111 t e contmuance o t e common-prayer, by a proclamation from part IV. Oxford, dated Novemb. I 3. I 645. in which his majefty takes notice, that Vol. I. " the book of common-prayer being a moft excellent form of worlhip, P· 2°7·· '' grounded on the holy fcriptures, is a great help to devotion, and tends " to preferve an uniformity in the church of England; whereas the di~ " reCtory gives liberty to ignorant, faCtious, and evil men, to broach « their own fancies and conceits, and utter thofe things in their long " prayers
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