Chap. X The HIS T 0 R Y of t'be PuRITANS. 355 " a.t an end, before the army drew nearer London, which it would lhortly K. Charles I. " do, as foon as thofe in the north had finilhed their ":orks." Sir 'J· ~ Bro71.ming entreated his majefry in his clofet, to make all h1s ~onceilions m one declaration, at one inftant, and in one day. The parhament commiili.oners were no lefs importunate with the king, but he was inflexible, and ufually out of humour. Remarkable are the words of Mr. Whitlock, (peaking of the abovementioned conceffions; " More. tba~ this could Whit!. " not be obtained, though mofr earnefl.ly begged of h1s maJef.l:y by fome Mem. ?· " of the commiffioners (great perfons) with tears, and upon their knees, 335' 3s 6 • " particularly as to the propofition concerning religion, wherein church " government, public worihip, and ·chiefly the revenues of the church, " fwayed more with the king's chaplains then about him ; and they more ''with his majefry (continually whifpering matter of confcience to him} " than the parliament, and all his commiffioners, could prevail with him " for an agreement, though poffibly his own judgment (which was above " all theirs) might not be fo fully convinced by his eager divines about " him." But thefe had polfeilion of his majefly's confcience, and directed his anfwers; and though they abhorred the thoughts of depofiqg -the king, or putting him to death, it ought to be confidered, whether their !tiff and imprudent behaviour did not manifeilly contribute to that cataflrophe. His maje11y being thus in tangled, was pleafed before the breaking up Archbijhbp of the treaty, to fend for archbilhop Ujher, and afked him this queftion, Ulher'sfen~ wh~ther he joun~ in all antt:quity, that presbyters alone ordained .any?. To t:me;j: _, f _ wh1ch the archb1lhop rephed frankly, tnat he could {hew h1s ma1efty ~~ ~ ,,,,,t; l ~· i more than that, even that presbyters alone hadJuccflftvely ordained b(/hops, ~. " " ~ ' and infranced in St. Jerom's words, in his· Epijl. ad Evagrium, where he Baxter's life fays, the preibyters of Alexandria chofe and made their own bilhops y. 206. ' from the days of Mark the apofrle till Herac!us and Dionyjius. At the fame time the arcbbilhop offered his majefty his own fcheme for the reduCtion of epifcopacy to th.~forrn of preibytery,' which his majefty had formerly rejt tl:ed, but was no'w at length willing to accept, as the archbithop himfelf told Mr. Baxter; but the Jcots and mglijh presbyterians were grown fo frubborn that they would not acquiefce• . Though the comrniilioners bad no jJOWer t~ rec.ede from their in{h-uc- Conclujion of uons, the treaty was prolonged from tune to t1me 111 hopes that fomething the treaty. or other might gain upon the king; but his majefty was frequently out of temper, and treated the commiilioners with no degree of confidence. The forty days to which the treaty was limited being ended OEiob. 28. it was enlarged for fou rte.e~ days, and then for feven, and fo on to the 28th of p. 232 • Nove~ber? fo.r wh1~n (fays lord Clarendon) his majefty was nothing glad; nor d1d hts fmmds m. the houfe defi1 e the prolonga~ion, it being moved by Z z z thofe
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