210 The HISTORY of the PuRITANs. VoL. 11. K, Charles I. declared frankly they could not acquiefce in it, becaufe it would deprive ~them of the enjoyment of the Lord's fupper; and that it was very hard to urge, that becaufe they came fo near their brethren, therefore they iliould be obliged to a total and confiant conformity. Conclujion of The committee met the lafi time, March 9· when the fub·committee the prefbyof preibyterian divines anfwered the lafi paper of the independents, main– terians. taining all their former pofitions, and concluding in this firange and won– l b. p. 123 . derful manner: " that whereas their brethren fay, that uniformity ought " to be urged no further than is agreeable to all mens confciences, and to "their edification;. it .feems to them, as if their brethren not only defired " liberty of confcience for J:hemfelves, but for all men, and would have " us think, that we are bound by our covenant, to bring the churches " in the three kingdoms to no nearer a conjunction and uniformity, than "is confiftent with the liberty of all mens confciences; wbich whether " it be the fenfe of the covenant we leave with the honourable commit– •·• tee." Hereupon the reverend Mr. Jer. Burroughs, a divine· of great candor– and moderation ; declared in the name of the independmts, " that if their " congregations might not be exempted from that coercive power of the « claffes; if they might not have liber'ty to govern themfelves in their '' own way, as long as they behaved peaceably towards- the civil magif– " trate, they were refolved to fuffer, or go to feme other pktce of the " world, where they might enjoy their liberty. But while men think " there is no way of peace, but by forcing all to be of the fame mind '' (fays he), while they think the civil fword is an ordinance of God " to determine all controverlies of divinity, and that it rnufl: needs be " attended with fines and imprifonment to the difobedient; while they "apprehend there is no medium between a firict uniformity, and a general "confufion of all things; while thefe·fentiments prevail, there mull be a " bafe fubjeCl:ion of mens confciences to fiavery, a fuppreflion of much. ~· truth, and great difiurbances in the chrillian world." ~emarls; Thus ended the lafi committee 0f lords and commons, and affembly of divines for accommodation, which adjourned to a certain day, but being then diverted. by other affairs never met again. Little did the preibyte– rian divines imagine,. that in lefs than twenty years all their artillery would be turned againfi themfelves; that they iliould be excluded the ell:abli!h– ment by an act of prelatical uniformity ; that they fuould be reduced to the neceffity of pleading for that indulgence which they now denied their brethren ; and efieem it their duty to gather churches for feparate wor– ihip out of other churches, which they allowed to be true ones. If the - 2 - - - lead::
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