The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. VoL. II. K. Charles I . With regard to the country committees, the commiffioners were ~hofen 1 643· out of the deputy lieutenants, and the beil: country gentlemen in the par- ~:,:;;;;;c;;,_ liament interefl:. Mofl: of the crimes for which the clergy were fequti1er– mittces. ed were confdfed by themfelves; fuperftition and falfe docbir .e were hardly ever objected ; far the greatell: part, being cafl: out for maligmty; and yet the proceedings of the fequefhators were not always jnfl:ifiable; for whereas a court of judicature fhould rather be counftl for the pri– foner than the profecutor, the commiffioners confidered the king's cler– gy as their moll: dangerous enemies, and were ready to lay hold of aH opportunities to difcharge them their pulpits. 'Their;,_ But whatever might be the exceffes, or partiality of particnlar com– jlructians. mittees, no reafonable blame can be laid upon the two houfes, whofe in– il:ructions were, in my opinion, unexceptionable ; the words of the or– Hufb. Col. dinance are thefe, --" And to the end that thofe who- will appear p. 311. "before the committee may have the witneffes examined in their pre'– " fence, it is further ordained, that fummonfes, with fufficient warning " of the time and pl ace, when and where the charge agaiDfl: them fhai1 " be proved, be either given to their perfons, or left at their houfts; '' and if they defire it, they {hall have a copy of the articles aga infl: « them, with a convenient time to give in their anfwer under tb ei·r " hands, which, together with their charge, and the proofs upon every " particular of it, the faid deputy lieutenants, and committees of parlia– " ment 1 !hall fend up to the committee of this houfe, ~ppointed to pro– '' vide for plundered minifl:ers; which committee tlJall lrom time t0 " time tranfmit them to this houfe." And furt her to prevent all abu- !bid. p. 15. fes, 'tis ordained in the ordinance for fequeflration, " that if any per– •·' fon or perfons find themfelves aggrieved with any acts done· by the fe-. " quefu:ators, their agents or deputies, and fhall not therein be reiJeved by " tbe fequefl:rators, upon complain t made to them, or any two or more of " them; then upon information given to both houfes of parliament, or " to the committee of lords and commons aforementioned, fuch fur– " ther order J.ball be taken therein as fh all be agreeable to juil:ice." Euff. Cler. Here was an appeal from a rower to a higher court; and to preven t a r· 84. fcrutiny into the lives and manners of the clergy, when their witneffes might be dead, they were limited· to fuch crimes as bad been commit– ted ,~ithin three years before the beginn ing of the prefen t parliament ; fo that if the committees obferved their orders there could be little caufe of complaint ; yet as no one will undertake to vindicHe all their pro– ceedings, we mufl: not, on the other hand, give ear to the pe£ulant and angry complaints of every difcontented clergyma n. I flJall only obferve further,_that. thefe country committees hardly began to fit till tbe latter end:
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