Neal - Houston-Packer Collection BX9333 .N4 1754

The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS. VoL. n. K. Charles!. in the parl~ament and army, and (as bilbop Kennet obferves) laid the foun1647· dation of his ruin. ~! The p1-eshytetians were no lets unhappy in an imagination, that as the liament ~nd majority of the houfe of commons, with the city of London, and the prtfbyterzcms. whole Jcots nation were fi rmly attached to their intereft, no oppofitio 11 could ftand before them, and therefore would abate nothing of their de– mands, nor hearken to any other terms of accommodation with the king, than thofe of the wvenant, which were the entire abolijhing if prelacy, and the qjlablijhing preibyterian uniformity througbout botb kingdoms, 'with an abfolute extirpation if all jeelaries wbatfoever. This was not only an effectual bar to their un ion with the king (as has been obferved), but a– wakened the jealoufy of the army, who were thoroughly convinced, that when the presbyterians were in the legal poifeilion of their demands, they would exercife equal tyranny over the confciences of men with the bi– iliops; and indeed nothing lefs was to be expected, confidering thei~ fteady adherence to the covenant in all their treaties, their efforts in par– liament to get the power if tbe keys into their own hands, their frequent addreifes for the fupprefling all fectaries by the civil authority, and their declarations both from tbe pulpit and prefs, againfl: toleration and liberty of confcience. In all their treaties with the king, even to that in the Ijle of Wzgbt (except when the army was in poifeilion of the cities of London and Wejlminjler) this was one article of peace, 'Ibat an effectual coutje be taken by ael qf parliament, and all other ways neetiful or expe– dient, for JitpprdJing tbe opiniom oJ tbe independents, and all otber.JeCiaries. To which his majelly had agreed in his private treaty with the .fcots in the Ijle qf Wigbt, figned December 27. fo that the army was left unfa– tisfied. Of the army For although there were fome few prdbyterians in the army, the ~nd tnd,pen- greatefl: part conlifl:ed of independents, anabaptijts, and men of unjettled mts. principles in religion, who for want of regular chaplains to their regiments, had ufed their own talents among themfelves in religious exercifes. The.fcots treaty of the Ijle if Wight fays the army was made up of anti-trinitariam, arians, Jocinians, anti-fcripturijts, anabapti.fts, antinomians, arminiam, famili.fts, brownijts, Jeparatijis, independents, libertines, feekers, &c. Mr. Rapin contrary to the teftimony of all other writers, calls them all independent;, and reprefents the controverfy between the parliament and them as a difpute, Whetber presbytery and independncy jhould be upper– mqfl; whereas the grand controverfy was, presbytery ~vitb a toleration, or witbout one. The army confented that prtibytery fhould be the na· tional religion, but infifled upon a toleration if all cbrifiians in the en– joyment of all their civil and religious rights. This (fays Lord Claren· don) was their great charter, and till they had obtained it by a legal fettle-

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