'The HIS T 0 RY of the PuRiTANs. VoL. II. K. Charles I. volution had taken the oath of allegiance to king James II. and the cor- ~ poration oath, which fays it is not lawful to rejijl, or take up al"ms againjl the king upon any pretence wbatfoever; what could abfolve them from tbefe engagements, or juil:ify their joining the prince if Orange with a foreign force againil: a king upon the throne? however the fiand now made by the univerfity was a bold and adventurous attempt, for which' they received the applaufe o( the Oiford parliament in the year 1665. when it was refolved, " that the thanks of the houfe of commons be re-' ·" turned to the chancellor, mail:ers, and fcholars, of the univerfity of " Oxford, _for their .bold oppofition to the rebellious villtors; fo: refufing. " to fubmtt to their league and covenant; and la!lly, for the t!l ufl:rious '' performance they printed, entitled the judgment qf the uni'verftty, &c.' " in which they have learnedly maintained the king's caufe." This was the fafbionable doCtrine of king Charles the fecond's reign, when the laws were fufpended and infringed, and arbitrary power in the prince rofe to fuch a height as in the next reign iifued in a revolution of government. The univerlity of Oxford did all they could to countenance the triumphs .of the prerogative, for in the yea~ 1663. they paifed a decree in full con– vocation, affirming the neceility of pailive obedience and non-refifiance in the il:rongefl: terms; but how foon were the tables turned, when with– in five years thefe very gentlemen thought fit to enter into an aifociation to adhere to the prince of Orange againft the king upon the throne, and have fince had the mortification to fee that fame decree burnt by the .'Vijitation opened. Suff. cl er. ,p. l27· hands of the common hangman? To return to the vifitation, May 1 5· a citation was ifTued in the names of ten of the viGtors then in London, to the proCtors, and heads of houfes, or their vice- principals, requiring them and all the officers, fch olars, &c. to appear in the convocation-houfe, on Friday June 4· between the hours of nine and eleven in the morning, and to bring with them a lifl: of the feveral names of thofe who were abfent, and of the colleges to which they belonged. At the time appointed the reverend Mr. Harrr·s, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Henry Wilki1ljon, Mr. Cheyne!, Mr. John Wilkinfon, Mr. Dunce, and Mr. Draper, &c. opened the viGtation with prayers and a fermon at St. Mary's church, fi·om whence they proceeded to the convocation- houfe, where the vice-chancell or [Dr. Fell] and a few of the fcbolars, had been waiting a confiderable time; but perceiv· ing the vifitors were like to out-il:ay the precife hour of fummons he order– ed the fexton to fet the clock exatl:ly with the fun, and as foon as it !truck eleven he difmiifed the fcholars, marching away with the beadles before him ; the vifitors met them in their, return at theprqfcholium, where the paifage being narrow, the beadle cried out, make q~Jay for Mr. vice-cha11: .eel/or, which the vifitors did, And the vice-chancellor having moved hts hat,
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