Chap. IV. Tbe HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS~ 547 " upon our fufferings as from the hand of God, and therefore do not CbKing · h 1 · 1· · · fl: r h arles II. " cherifh any v1olent t o~g1ts or me l~atwns agam ~ny per.'on.s w .at- , 660 . " foever who have been mfhumental 111 them; and Jf the mdJfcretwn ~ " of any particular perfons !hall tranfport them to expreilions contrary K. Chr. P· " to this general fenfe, we !hall difcla.im them." This was figned by 1!~~:,~Jife, eighteen noblemen, and about fi~ty kmght~ and gentlemen.. Dr.. Jl.!orley Part II. p. and fame of his brethren met pnvately With the preibytenan mmdl:ers, 2.17. and made large profeilions of lenity and moderation, but without defcending to particulars. The king and chancellor Hyde carried on the intrigue. The chancellor in one of his letters from Breda, dated April 20, 1 66o, fays, that "the king very well approved that Dr. Morley and Life o/ Bar.' " fome of his brethren, lhould enter into conferences, and have fre- P· 2 53· " quent converfation with the prdbyterian party, in order to reduce " them to fuch a temper as is confifl:ent with the good of the church; " and it may be no ill expedient (fays he) to aifure them of prefent " good preferments; but in my opinion you !hould rather endeavour to " win over thofe who being recovered, will both have reputation, and " defire to merit from the church, than be over {olicitous to comply " with the pride and pailion of thofe who propofe extravagant things." .Such was the fpirit or profeilions of the church party, while they were decoying the others into the fnare! The preibyterian minifl:ers did not want for cautions from the independents and others, not to be too forward in trufl:ing their new allies, but they would neither hear, fee, or believe, till it was too late. They valued themfelves upon their fuperior influence, and from an ambitious delire of grafping all the merit and glory of the refl:oration to themfelves, they would fuffer none to at!: openly with them, but defired the epifcopal clergy to lie fiill for fear of the people, and leave the conduCting of this great affair to the hands it was in. Accordingly the preibyterian minifl:ers writ to their friends in their fe– veral counties, to be careful that men of republican principles might not be returned to ferve in the next parliament, fo that in fame counties the eleCtions fell upon men void of all religion, And in other places the people broke _through the difabling claufe. Dr. Barwick fays, they paid no regard to It; and Mo11k declared, that if the people made ufe of their natural rights in choofing whom they thought fit, without referve no Terms on injury !hould be done them, So that when the houfes met it was evident which the to all wife men it would be a court parliament. fcotsand B h S fl: d engltfh prefut t e _fots were more ea .y to the covenant, and fent over the re- bvterians verend Mr. James Sharp, with the earls of Crmiford and Lauderdale to .l;ould rejlore Holland, humbly to put his majefl:y in mind, that the kirk of Scotland the kfng. expeCted proteCtion upon the footing of the preibbyterian eftablifhment K. Chron. 'p. IOI, 110, 4 A 2 ~ithoutlb. p. ro4.
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