Chap. J. 'I'he HIS T 0 RY of the PuRITANS. 27 " tion, or fecret evafion whatfoever, taking the words by me fpoken ac- K. Charles!. " carding to the common meaning of them. ~ " So help me GOD." Divers clergymen of confiderable learning, and bla~ele_fs lives, found 'Ih.e e!feE_ls of proteftants, and good preachers, loft their eftates and hvehhoods, by fa!- tbts ordtling within the compafs of this ordinance. How far fuch feverities are nance. jufl:ifiable by the law of arms, in a time of civil war and confufion, I fhall not determine. It had been well, if thofe who would have given fecu- .rity for their peaceable behaviour, could have been diftingui(hed. But what could the parliament do in their circumfiances with men who were always dealing in politics, privately fending the king money, preaching publicly that he was above law, and fiirring up the people· to (edition apd difaffection to thofe powers by whom they were protected? If others fuffered in this manner it was very hard meqfitre; their eftates might have been double taxed, as thofe of papifts and nonjurors have fince been; but to take away their whole property, and reduce them to a fifth, and this at the mercy of fequefirators, was extremely rigorous and fevere. However, his majefry purfued the fame meafures, and gave directions to 'The king feize the lands and goods of the parliamentarians, as appears by his proda- makes repri– mation ofApril 7, and May 8. wherein he forbids all his fubjects to fubmitfa/s. to their orders; and by another dated May I 5· I 643. complains, "that Hu!b. Col– " divers of his clergy, eminent for piety and learning, becaufe they publiih lea. P· 177. · '' his royal and jufi commands and declarations, and will not (againfi the " known laws of t.he land, and their own confciences) fubmit to contri– " butions, nor publicly pray againfi us and our affiftants, but conform to " the book of common prayer efiablifhed by law, and preach God's " word according to the purity of it, and in their fermons will not teach " [edition, nor publifh illegal commands and orders for fomenting the un– " natural war levied againfl: us, are fome of them driven from their cures " and habitations, others filenced and difcharged from their cures, and " perfecuted, and their curates, if orthodox, difplaced, in whofe places fac– " tious and feditious perfons are introduced.-His majefty therefore forbids " all his fubjects to hinder any of his clergy from exercifing their func– ,, tions, or to difplace them; and if any trangrefs this command his ma– " jelly declares them affiftants of the rebellion, and will proceed againft " tbt:m according to law, as foon he can apprehend them, and in the " mean time will give direClion for taking their lands and goods into Jafe " cuftody." Such were the extremities on both fides! The filen~ing fo many clergymen at once, made it very difficult to find Vacant bent· perfons qualified to fill the vacant pulpits. This was an inconvenience jiw filled up. that had attended the reformation of queen Elizabeth, and was the cafe E 2 · of
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