Chap. I. The HISTORY of the PuRIT'ANs. " ment to the young king, and if any from that quarter lhould invade the " kingdom, before his majefiy has given fatisfaetion to the parliament and " kirk, they exhort their people to rdifi them, as abettors of an abfolute " and arbitrary government." Common– wealth. 1649· ~ About two months after this, the parliament of England publilhed a Parliament declaratiOI) on their part, wherein they complain of the revolt of the eng- vindicate • • 11.. • d f h · k' · h h b thezrpraceed- /ifiJ and !cots prewutenans, an o t en· ta mg part Wit t e enemy, e- . 'J'· J' J • zngs. caufe their difcipline was not the exaCt fiandard of reformation. " But Vol. pamp. " we are fiill determined (fay they) not to be difcouraged in our endeavours N° 34· ,, to promote the purity of religion, and the liberty of the common- " wealth ; and for the fatisfaetion of o1,1r preiliyterian brethren, we de- " clare, that we will continue all thqfe ordinances ~vhich have been made ''for the promoting a reformation qf religion, in doClrine, ~vorjhip, and '' difcipline, in their full force; and will uphold the fame, in order to '' fupprefs popery, fuperfiition, blafphemy, 80d all kinds of prophane- ,, nefs. Only we conceive ourfelves obliged to take away allJuch aCls and " ordinances as are penal and coerci'l.•e in matters if confcience. And be- " cau fe this has given fo great offence, we declare as in the prefence of ·" God, that by whomfoever this liberty lhall be abufed, we will be ready · " to tefiify our difpleafure againfi them, by an effeCtual profecution of " fuch offenders." TheJcots commiffioners were all this while treating with the king in Scots treaty Holland, and infiiting on his fubicribing the folemn league and covenant; with theking his efiablifhing the Wdfminjler confe!Jion, the direCtory, and the preiliyte- mHolland. rian government in both kingdoms. The king being under difcouraging circumfiances, confented to all their demands with regard to Scotland, and as to England referred himfelf to a free parliament: But the [cots not fatisfied with his majefiy's exceptions as to England, replied that " fuch They will in– ,, an anfwer as this would grieve the whole kirk of Scotland, and all their elude the en– " covenanting brethren in England and Ireland, who under pain of the gl'~' pmby– " mofi folemn perjury fiand bound to God and one another, to live and tmans. " die by their covenant, as the chief Jecurity of their religion and liberties " againfi popiih and prelatical malignants. Your majdfy's father (fay '' they) in his lajl nu:Jlage to our kirk qfjered to ratijy the Jolemn lec1gue '' and covenant. He qfj'ered likewije at the I!le of Wight to co'!firm the " direClory, and the presbyterial government in England and Ireland till " he m1d bis parliamentjhould agree upon a Jet tied order if the church.' Be- " fides, your maje~y having. offered to confirm the abo!if11ing of epifcopa- " cy, a~d the fervi~e. book 10 Sc~;land, it cannot certainly be againfi our " confc1ence to do It Ill England. But the king would advance no farther till he had lreardfrom the queen mother, who fent him word, that it was Vo,r.. H. D d d the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=