Chap. VII. T!Je HISTORY of t!Je PuRITANS. 2 37 K. Charles!. "I Do declare b~fore God and the world, that lince I had the honour ~ " and hapoinefs to converfe and confer with his majefiy with all forts Mr. Hen- ,, of fieedom,' efpecially in matters of religion, whether in relation to tbe derfon'spre– " kirk or ll:ate that I found him the moll: intelligent man that I ever tmded ruan- ' . tatunT. " fpoke with, as far beyond my expreilion as expeCtatiOn. I profefs, that Cdmpl. hift. •' I was often times afloni!hed with the folidity and quicknefs of his rea-p. 1go. " fons and replies ; and wondered how he, [pending his time fo much ~nnet's def. •' in fports and recreations, could have attained to fo great knowledge;~ "~.em, P• 1 •' and mufl: confefs ingenuouOy, t-hat I was convinced in confcience, and .> ,, knew not how to give him any reafonable fatisfaCl:ion; yet the fweet• <' nefs of his difpoiition is fuch, that whatfoever I faid was well taken:, '' I mull: fay, I never met with any difputant of that mild and calm tem- ,, per, which convinced me the more, and made me think, that fuch '' wifdom and moderation could not be, without an extraordinary mea'" •' lure of divine grace. I had heard much of his carriage towards the '' priefis in Spain, and that king James told the duke of Buckingham •' upon his going thither, that he durll: venture his fan Charles with all the •' jefuits in the world, he knew him to be fo well grounded in the pro- •' tell:ant religion, but could never believe it before. I obferved all his " aCtions, more particularly thofe of devotion, which I mull: truly fay are '' more than ordinary-If I fhould fpeak of his juaice, magnanimity, . " charity, fobriety, chafiity, patience, humility, and of all his other •' chrillian and moral virtues, I lhould run myfelf into a p:mcgyric ; no " man can fay there is confpicuoufly any predominant vice in him; never •-' man faw him pailionately angry; never man heard him curfe, or give!~ " to [wearing; or heard him complain in the greatell: durance of war, or '' confinement-But I fhould fee m to flatter him, to fuch as do not know •• him, if the prefent condition that I lie in, did not exempt me from any '' fufpicion of worldly ends, when l expeCt every hour to be called from cc· all tranfitory vanities to.eterna!.felicity,. and the difcharging of my con1.. • " · fcience before God and man, did not oblige me to declare the truth "limply and nakedly, in fatisfaclion :of that which I have done ignorant-– ,.. ly, though not a-ltogether innocently." The declaration adds, that he. was heattily ferry for the !hare he had had in the war; that the parlia– ment and fynod of Ef&glandhad been abufed with falfe afperfions of his ma– jt!lly; and that they ought to rell:ore him to his jull: rights, and his crown and dignity, leall: an indelible charaCter of ingratitude lie upon ·them. Mr. Er:chard confeifes he had been . informe.d, that this declaration 'The falfenefi was ~punou~, b?t could find no authont-y fufficten.t to fupport ·fuch an of it. aifertton. It Will be proper therefore to trace the hill:ory of this impof- Eachard,.P• tu d r. t 't . 1 d . . 1' h f . 1r. 62.6, ed. sd• re,, an . 1e. 1 10 a cear an convmcmg tg t, ram a.memona 1ent. me · frotn.
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