Chap. I. Tbe HIS T 0 R Y of tbe P_uRIT ANS. 25 end of the year I 643. or the beginning of I 644· that they excrcifed K. Charles I. their power very fparingly while the war was in fufpenfe, but when the ~ royal forces had been beat out of the field, and viCtory declared on their fide, they proceeded with more freedom, efpecially againft thofe who had made themfelves parties in the war. Very different accounts are given of ·the numbers and quality of the ff<!!ality of ejeCted clergy by their feveral friends. Lord Clarendon fays, that all the ~'Jfons li.Jetl– learned and orthodox divines of England were deemed fcand alous. And · Dr. {1/alker has taken a great deal of pains to encreafe their numbers, and vindicate their charaCters. By this account one would think mofl: of them were of the firfi rank and character; but Mr. l3ax!t'r who was much better acquainted with them, fays, " that when the parlia- p. 95· " ment purged the minifiry, they call: out the groifer fort of infufl1cient " and fcandalous ones, and alfo fome few civil men who bad affified in cc the wars againfi the parliament, or fet up bowing to altars, and fuch " innovations, but they left in near one half of the minifiers that were " not good enough to do much fervice, nor bad enough to be utterly " intolerable. Thefe were a company of poor weak preachers, who had '' no great 1'kill in divinity, nor zeal for godlinefs, but preached weekly " that that was true, and were free from notorious fins." This feems a pretty fair relation of the matter ; however we !hall have occafion to confider it more fully hereafter. Befides the fequefiration of benefices, the parliament confidered the king's Sequeflration clergy as parties in the war, and feized their eftates both real and per- of th<ir ef– fonalunder that charaCter, towards defraying the expence~ of it; for tates. this purpofe they paifed the following ordinance, Aj;ri/J. I 643. the Hu!b. Col. preamble to which fets forth, "that it is mofl: ag1eeable to ccmmon lea. "jufl:ice, that the efiates of fuch notorious delinquents as have bc~!1 the fol. 1 3· '' canfers or infl:ruments of the public calamities, which have hitherto " been employed to the fomenting and nourifhing of this miferable dif- " traction, i11ould be converted and applied towards the fupport of the " commonwealth. cc Be it therefore enaCled, that the ell:ates, as well real as perfonal " of all }itch bijhops, deans, ~eans and chapters, prebends, archdeacons, and " of a.lt other perjons rcclejia/ltcal or temporal, who have, or foal/ raife arms " agaznft the parltament; or have been, or jha/1 be in aClual war agailifl " the fame; or ~~o have, or jha!l voluntarily contribute money, horje, plate, " arms, . ammun~twn, o~ other aid or a!Jiflance, towards the maintenance of '' m:y jorce. raifid agazn/f the,P~rltament, .or for the plundering rf the " kzng sJub;eels, who have wtllzngly contrtbuted, or yielded obedience to '' ~be commands ?( b~th houfes of parliament, and if all fuch who have ";otned, orjhall;om m any oath or a.!Jociation againfl the parliament, &c. Y o L, II. E " !hall
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