Chap. X. 'Ibe HIS T 0 R Y of tbe PuRIT ANS. 349 " with that rudenefs, as if they meant to be no longer fubjetl: to a kingK. Charles I. " any more than to a bifhop; that they inveighed bitterly againft the ~:..:: , h I . d , ........ "V ._,, " pride and luftre of lord bifhops; that two of t em very p amly an "fiercely told the king, that if be did not confent to the utter abolifh- ,, i"ng of bifhops he would be damned; the men were Spurftow and " Jenkins, who after the return of king Charles If. according to the mo- " defiy of that race of people, came to kifs his majefiy's hand." And yet neither of the divines above-mentioned were nominated to affifl: at the treaty, nor had any !bare in the deba~es. Mr. Baxter fays, all the parliament divines came qfj" with great honour. But fuch is his lord !hip's or his editor's candor towards any thing that looks like a prefbyterian ! The king' fecond difficulty, relating to his coronation oath, by whichOf tbe mo– he :1pprebended himfe.lf bound to maintain cpifcopal government as he natzou oatb. found it fettled when he received the crown, the commiflioners did not think fo proper for the difcuffion of divines, becaufe it depended upon the law of the land , and therefore took this part of the debate upo11 themfelves. The king conceived, that the conjimt if the clergy themJd~leS· in convocation ajjembled, was neceflary before they could be deprived ifthqje· po(fef!i'ons and privileges if which they ~vere legally pojfe/fed. But the com– mil1ioners maintained, that the legil1ature alone was to determine in this· cafe, as it had done at the reformation ; that it was not to be fuppofed, that any body of men would confent to part with their polfeffions if they could keep them; but if the legijlature judged any part qf the king's coronation oath hurifid to the public, it c,vas certainly in their power, with the confent qf the king, to alter or annul it.-One may juflly afk how this brand) of the coronation oath fhould ftick fo much with the king, when. it was notorious that his government for almoft fifteen years, had been one continued breach of magna charta, and an encroachment upon the civil liberties of his fubjeCl:s? But neither party would acceed to the other, tho' the article of reli- ""' , . , • • • 1 ne 11mg s g10n was aimoil: the only pomt that hmdered the conclufion of the treaty :final conccfllis majefiy wondered at the ihynefs and reluctance of the parliament di- flons. vines to debate his three quefl:ions, and told them plainly, that their en- Rufhw. p. deavours to give him fatisfaCl:ion in them, would have added to the repu~ P· 1291. tation of their ingenuity in the whole undertaking, it not being probable that they fhould work much upon his judgment, wbi!e they were fearful ·to declare their own; or poflible to relieve his confcience, but by a free declaring of theirs. But what was all this to the point? the only quefiion before them. was, ~hethe_r dioc.eJcm epifcopary was if divine injiitution ? if they had fattsfied h1s maJefty. m that, they had difcharged their ·duty; to launch out ~arther wa.s to lofe time and protraCl: the treaty beyond its limits. If dtocefan epiflopacy was not Jcriptural it might be abo\i01ed, Rufhw. p. 2 which r3or, 1302,
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