Chap. X. ~ 7be HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS. 333 which mull: in the end have been equally fatal to both parties, and loll: K. Charles I. them all the advantages of the war. This fatal conjunCtion broke the ~ firength of the mglijh presbyterians, and played the game into th.e hands of a third party, who de!l:royed the other two. The ARMY, With whom were the independents, anabaptijls, and other feB:aries, was governed by the agitators, who had given up the king, and had a~ incurable aver.fion to the cavaliers, and all who adhered to them, as their moll: determmed enemies; nor could they confide in the presbyterians, becaufe in all their pall: treaties they had feen themfelves made a facrifice to covenant uniformity. Upon the whole, all parties were fiiff in their demands, difunited in their councils, and infinitely jealous of each other. Among the prefbyterians, [ome were for fighting only with the cavaliers, and others for oppofing theJcots as invaders. Some of the cavaliers were for refioriog the king by their own valour, and others for availing themfelves of the affifl:ance of thefcots. The army was no lefs di!l:raB:ed; thofe who ferved. under general Fairfax were unwilling to march againfi theJcots presbyterians; thofe under Cromwell were for encountering every power that would' not fecure them that liberty of confcience for which they had been contending; and delpairing of this not only from the king, but from the· Jcots and cnglijh presbyterians, they un-happily run 'upon thafe extravagant meafures which ended in the defiruction of the king and overthrow· of the whole confiitution. Tantum religio potuit Juadere malorum! But to return, the affembly of divines having finilhed their main bu{i:.. Canclujion of ne{~, was reduced to a fmall number, mofi of the country minifiers ha- the aJ!:mbly vi~g re~urned hom7, at~d tbofe who re~_ained about Londo1z were employed~~~·~:~es cbtefly m the examwatwn of fuch mmtfiers as prefented themfelves for or.. me,. · dination> or indufiion into livings; thus they fubfified till Feb. 22. 1648.-g. about three weeks after the king's death, having fat five years, fixmonths and twenty-two days, in which time they had one thoufand, one hund~ red, and fixty-three feilions. They were afterwards changed into a com~ittee_ for the purpofes lafl: mentioned, and. met every 'Ihurjday mormng till March 2 5·. 1652. when the long parltament being turned' out of the houfe by Olzver Crom'1.vell, they broke up without any formal: di!folution. The works of the affembly, befides fome letters !O foreign churches, Tb,ir workl: ~nd occafional admontitions were,, !. Their
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