Chap. II. The H I ST 0 R Y of the Pu Rir A. N s. would have the livings valued, and the pari!h engaged to pay the minif- Commoa– ter. This was fu(pected .to come from the fectaries, and awakened the w~alch. fears of the efl:abli!hed clergy. Mr. Baxter printed the Worcejter peti- ~ tion on the behalf of the minifl:ers, which was prefented to the houle by Life, p. 1r5, colonel Bridges and Mr. Foley; and Mr. Boreman B. D. and fellow of 'Trinity -College Cambridge, publiG1ed 'The Country Mids Catechifm, or the Church's Plea for 'llthes, dedicated to the nobility, gentry, and commons of the realm; in which he infifts upon their divine right. But the clergy were more afraid than hurt ; for though the commons were of opinion with Mr. Se/den, that tithes were aboli!hed with the old law, yet the committee not agreeing upon an expedient to. fatisfy the lay-im– propriators, the affair W\IS propt for the prefent. Upon complaint of the expence and tediouji1ejs if /awfuits, it was mo. Allempts to ved in the houfe, that courts of juflice might be fettled in every county, reg_ulate law and mai ntained at the public charge; and that all controverfies betweenfu' 1 '' man and man might be heard and determinc:d free, according to the laws of the land ; and that clerks of all courts and committees might do their duty without delay, or taking any thing more than their fettled fees. Accordingly a committee was appointed to confider of the inconveniencies and delays of laws fuits, and how they might be remedied. The committee came to feveral refolutions upon this head; but the diifolution of the parliament, which happened the next year, prevented their bringing it to perfection. An act had paifed in the year I 649. for propagating the gojpe/ in P ropagatim Wales; and commifiioners were appointed for ejeCling ignorant and fcan- of the gofpel d I . 'fi d I . I . h . {i h' I m "Vales a ous mm1 ers, an p acwg ot 1ers m t e1r room ; pur uant to w 1c 1, 8 •. Mr. W hitlock writes, " that by this time there were one huudred and fif- p. 51 · " ty good preachers in the thirteen we!fb counties, mofl: of whom preach- ,, ed three or four time a weeks ; that in every market town there was '' placed one, and in mofl: great towns two fchool-mafters, able, l~arn- " ed, and univerfity men; that the tithes were all employed to the " ufes directed by act of parliament; th at ie, to the maintenance of god- " ly minifiers ; to the payment of taxes and officers ; to fChool-maf- " ters; and the fifths to the wives and children of the ejected cler- " gy:" Of which we iliall meet with a more particular relation in its proper place. The commonwealth was now very powerful, and the nation in as State of thf flouri!hing a condition (fays Mr. Rapin) as under queen Elizabeth. The common– form of government indeed was altered contrary to law, and without con- wealth, fent of the people, the majority of whom were difaffected, preferring a P· 70 ' mixed monarchy to an abfolute commonwealth; but the adminifl:ration was in the hands of the ablefl: men Englmzd had beheld for many VoL. II. H h h years;
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