The HIS T 0 R Y oj the PuRITANs.' VoL. If.- K. Charles I. of the eftabliibed church again in the year r662. when near two thoufand ~ minifters were ejeCl:ed on accoun t of their non-conformity. Lord Claren– don, with his ufual candor fays, that from the beginning qf this parlia– ment he is confident not one learned or orthodox man was recommended by them to any church in England ; and yet fome of the greatcft ornaments of the church for learning and good fenfe, in the reign of ki ng Charles II. were of their promotion, as bifhop Reynolds, bifhop Wilkins, Dr. Lif(ht– foot, Dr. Cudworth, Dr. Wallis, and others. Mr. Baxter, who was a more competent judge in this refpeCl:, fays, "that though now and then '' an unworthy perfon, by finifter means, crept into the places of the Hilt of L. and Times, p. 74· " ejeCl:ed minill:ers, yet commonly thofe whom they put in, were fuch as " fet themfelves laboriouOy to feek the faving of fouls. Indeed the one " half of them were very young, but ~hat could not be helped, becaufe " there were no others to be had; the parliament could not make men '' learned or godly, but cnly put in the learnedeft and ableft that they " could have; and though it bad been to be wifbed, that th ey might '• have had leifure to ripen in the univerfities, yet many of them did " (as Ambrqfe) teach and learn at once fo fuccefsfully, as that they much "encreafed in learning themfelves, v.hilil: they profited others, and pro· " portionably more than many in the univcrfities do." Thofe clergymen who had been filenced and imprifoned by archbifhop Laudwere fet at li– berty and promoted; fome who had fled to Hollandand Neqv-E;ngland on the account of non-conformity returned home, and W):re preferred to confiderable leCl.ures in the city, or to livings that had been fequell:ered. The parliament entertained and promoted feveral Scots divines, and yet after all, wanted a fnpply for feveral vacant benefices, which obliged them to admit of fome unlearned perfons, and pluralill:s, not of choice, but thro' nccellity ; for when things were more fettled, the affembly of di– vines declared again!l: both; and it deferves to be remembered, that the parliament infiead of giving their divines an abfolute and full poffeffion of the fequeftered livings, referved to themfelves a right in their warrants to difplace them if the faw occafion, which alews their great prudence and caution; for by this means it was in their power, upon the conclulion of a peace, to reftore thofe who had been ejected, meerly for their attach• ment to the king, without any injnfticc to the prefent poffeffor. To put fome ftop to the clamors of the royalilts at Oxford, who gave out, that the parliament admitted butchers,_ coblers, bricklayers, and thofe who had no call from God or man, they ordained, July 27. 1643. " That the committees lhould not nominate any perfons to vacant bene– " fices, but fuch as lhould be examined and approved by the affembly of "divines then fitting at Wejlmijler." Upon the whole it is evident, that the two houfes did the beft they could in their prefent circumftances, and 2 per-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=