(jhap. X. 'The HIS T 0 R Y of tbe PuRITANS, 373 buril: on their heads I do not fee what men could do more in their cir- K. C~a~les I. cumil:ances to dive~t it, than the presby•terians did ; they preached and ~J prayed, and protefied againfl: it in the mofl: public manner; many of them reli gned their preferments becaufe they would not take the engagement to the new commonwealth; they groaned under all the ft:cceeding changes ?f government, and had a p~incipal ili_are in the re~cratiOn of t~e roy•al family in the year 166o. Wit~out wh1c!1 thefe anm~er.farY. declatmers. would never have bad an opportumty of peltmg them with their ecclefiail:Jcal artillery, in the unwarrantable manner they have done. . The forementioned writers, together with Mr. Rapin, in his late hif- Of the mde– tory of England, load the independents as a religious feet, with all the pendents. · – guilt of cutting qff the king's head; and with being in a plot from the - commencement of the civil war, to defl:roy equally king, monarchy, epifcopacy, and prefuyterianifm; but this !aft named writer not being ac- _quainted with their religious principles conflantly confounds the independents with the army, which was compounded of a number of feCl:aries,. the majority of whom were not of that denomination. There were no doubt among the independents, as well as among other parties, men of republican principles, who had a large G1are in the reproach of this day; but befides what has been obferved, of fame of their number joining with the prejbyteriam in proteiling againfl: the king's execution, the divines if t his perfwcifion had no difference with the prejbyterians, or moderate epij: copaliam, about forms of civil government; the leading officers would have contributed their part toward reftoring l1is majefty to his throne, when he was with the army, upon more equal terms than fome other of h is adverfaries, had they not difcovered his defigns to facrifice them when it fh ould be in his power. In their !aft propofitions they confented to the refl:oring the king, upon the foot of a toleration for themfelves and the epifcopal party ; leaving the presbyterians in poffeffion of the eftablifhment. Both Whitfock and We/wood obferve, that at the very time of the king's trial the prevailing party were not determined what form of government to fet up, " many having thoughts of making the duke of Gloucefler Mem, p. " king;" which his majefty being informed of, forbid the duke, . in his 99• !aft interview, to accept the crown while his elder brothers were living. And though Mr. Rapin fays, that after the force put upon the members p. 563, of parliament on the 6th and 7th of D ecember, the houfe co'!fifted if none but independent members, 'tis certain to a demonftration, that there were ~hen remaining in the_houfe men of all parties, epijcopalians, presb)'ferians, tndependents, anabaptijls, and others; fo little foundation is there for this writer,'sconclufion, that the independents and THESE ONLY, put the king to death. Dr.
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