Chap. IX. 'I'he HISTORY of the PURITANS. debts which thev were not able to fatisfy; there were few heads of colle- K. Charles l; ges or fcholars t:emaining, except fuch as were !hongly prejudiced againfl: 16~ the padiament, having employed their wits, during the courfe of the V'" war, in writing weekly mercuries, and fatyrical p•lmphlets, in which they afperfed the proceedings of the two boufes, and treated their divines as the moll: infamous, ignorant, and hypocritical traitors; nor were their tempers in the leall: foftened, though their lives and fortunes were in the hands of their adverfaries. It was thought neceffary therefore to put the education Df youth into fuch hands, as the parliament could confide in, a power being referved for that purpofe in the articles of furrender. But before they proceeded to extreams, the two houfes about the beg~n- Parlia.mw~ ning of September 1646. appointed (even C!f their mofl: popular divinesftndmmij>'~7T . 0 .;; d . h J • h . I . f h . to reform ,r. to repJtr to x 1 or , WJt aut 1onty to preac In any pu pitS o t e unt- Suff. Ckr. verfity for fix mcnths, in order to foften the fpirits of the people, and give p. 12,£. them a better opinion of their caufe, viz. the reverend Mr. Robert Harris of Hmm;e/1 Oxfordjhire ; Mr. Edward Re)'nolds, afterwards bilhop of Nor~vich; Mr. Henry Wilkif!frm of Magdalen-Co/lege; Mr. Francis Cheytzel, Mr. Edward Corbet of Merton .Co/lege; Mr. Henry Conzifb of NewInn; and Mr. f-Jenry Langley of Pembroke-College; men of reputation and charaCter, fober divines, and popular preachers, though .A. Wood the Oxford bifl:orian is pleafed to fay, " their fermons were the contempt " and fcorn of the univedity, becaufe they were tDo long, and had too ,, little learning; becaufe they prayed very coldly for the king, but were « very earnefl: for a bleffing upon the counfels and arms of the parliament, " and did not a! ways conclude with the Lord's prayer; becaufe they re- " fleD:ed on (ome of the heads of the univerfity, calling them dumb dogs. " having a form of religion without the power; and becaufe their man- " ner of delivery was rather theatrical than ferious; neverthelefs their au- " ditories were crowded, though none of the heads of colleges, or fenior ~· fcholars, attended them." The minill:ers were very diligent in the difcharge of their trufl:, preach- 'Their co 1;– ing twice every Lord's day ; and that they might gain the affections of duEt a·nd foe~ the people, (et up a weekly conference every 'Thurfday, in which they sefkc propofed to ~olve fuch ?bje0ions as {hould be raifed againJ1 their new co11- P~ ,·25 .!er. fiJ!zon if Jmth and difbplme, and to anfwer any other important cafes Minfr. ac– in divinity : The queflion or cafe, was to be propounded the week be- count, P· 5· fore, that it might be well confidered ; a moderator alfo was appointed to ~~l.B;amp. keep order, who began and concluded with a lhort prayer, and the whole ' was conduCted with decency and gravity. But feveral of the fcholars ri– diculed their proceedings, and by way of contempt called their place of ~neeting, THE scR u .PLE SHOP; however it wa~ frequented by great nump p 2 ber~
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