The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS. VoL. n K, Ch;rrles I. Bilhop Burnet is of opinion, that " in moll of the particulars the arch– ~ " bilhop made but frivolous excufes; a~, that he was but one if many, wh(} Hift of his '' either in council, fiar-chamber, or high commifiion, voted illegal things. Life, " Now though this was true, yet achi~fminifler, and one in high favour, Vol. I. " determines the refi fo much, that they are little better than rt1achines P· so. " aCted by him. On other occafions he fays, the thing was proved but " by one witnefs. Now how llrong foever this defence may be in law, " it is of no force in an appeal to the world ; for if a thing be true, 'tis " no matter how full or defeCtive the proof is." Hts charac– ter of the witnejfos. Laud's Hifl. p. 2 37· lb. p. 4I7• The archbilhop bimfelf has informed us of his great patience under the hard ufage he met with at his trial; but his diary furnilhes too many examples to the contrary, for it appears from thence, that he fometimes gave the witndfes very rude language at the bar, infinuating to the court, that many of them were perjured ; that their evidence was the effeCt of malice, envy, and a thirll after his blood. Sometimes he threatened them with the judgments of God, and once he was going to bind his fin upon one of them, not to be forgiven till he afk.ed pardon; but he recover– ed himfel£ He is plealed fometimes to obferve, that his crimes were proved only by one witn~fl; and yet at lafi he complains that he was opprelfed with numbers, no lefs than one hundred and fifty, and calls them "a pack " of fuch witneffes, as were never produced againfi any man of his place " and calling ; pur:fuivants, miffengers, pillory-men, ba~vds; and fuch as had " !hifted their religion to and again." And yet there were among them, men of the bell: fa!hion and quality in the kingdom, as Sir H. Van,e fen, Sir H. Mildmay, Sir Wi/liam Ba!fore, Sir Nath. Brent vicar general; fun– dry aldermen of the city of London, and: many excellent divines, as Dr. Featly, Dr. 1-laywood the archbilhop's chaplain, Mr. Dell his fecretary, lb. p. 434· Mr. Ojbaldiflon, and others of an equal if not fuperior character. When his grace was checked at the bar for reflecting upon the witneifes, and put in mind by the managers that fome of them were aldermen, fome gentlemen, and fome men of quality, he replied fmartly, "that is no– " thing, there is not an aCfive Jeparatifl in England but his hand is agail!ft " me; both gentlemen, aldermen, and men qf all co?iditions, are fipara– " tijls from the church if England, and I would to GodJome if my jud– " ges were not." His cmfure After this it ~an hardly be expe0ed, that the m_anagers.fo~ the commons of tbe mana- fhould efcape hisgrace's cenfure; It mufi be admitted, that In the cour(e gers. of their arguments they made ufe of fome harlh expreffions, which nothing but the character they fufiained could excufe ; but it was no argu– ment of the archbiiliop's patience and difcretion, to fight them at their own weapons. The managers were ferjeant Maynard, one of the ableft lawyers
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