eh IV ~ze HI S T 0 R Y ol' the PuRITANS. 549 . ap. . J. o ~ cc and church." DireCtly contrary to his majefiy's declaration concerning King · · 1 tr • 1· h r , Wh · R I' d Charles If. eccleliafhca ana1rs, w 11c Jays, ' . en w: ~ere m o•an we w~re 1660 . " attended with many grave and learned mmlfl:ers of the presbytenan ~ " perfualion , whom to our great fatisfaCl:ion an? comfort, we found to be "full of ajfeC!ion to us, qfzealjor the peace oj the church and)late, and " neither enemies (as they have been given out to be) to epifcopacy or !i- " turgy." Bifhop Burnet acknowledges, that many of the presbyterian p. 96, 178. minifiers, chiefly in the city of L?ndon, had gone into the delign of the rel1oration in fo ligna! a manner, and with fuch fuccefs, that they had great merit, and a jufi title to very high preferments. Mr. Baxter gives the following reafons of their conduCt. " The presbyterians (fays he) p. 216. " were influenced by the covenant, by which, and by the oaths of alle- " giance to the king, and his heirs, they apprehended themfelve~ bound " to do their utmoft to refiore the king, let the event be what it will." But then he adds, "Moll of them had great expeCtations of favour and . •' refpett ; and becaufe the 1ng l1ad taken the covenant, they hoped he " would remove fubfcriptions, and leave the common-prayer and cere- ,, monies indifferent; that they might not be cafl: out of the churches, " Some who were lefs fanguine, depended on fuch a liberty as the protef- " tants had in France; but others who were better acquainted with the · •' principles and tempers of the prelates, declared, that they expeCted to be lie: lenced, imprifoned, and banifhed, but yet they would do their parts to " refiorethe king, becaufe no forefeen ill confequence ought to hinder them " from doing their duty." Surely thefe were better chrifiians then cafuifis! When the minifl:ers waited on his majefiy in Holland, he gave them fuch encouraging promifes (fays Mr. Baxter), as raifed in fome of them high expectations. When he came to Wbitehall he made ten of them his chaplains; and when he went to the houfe to quicken the paffing the aCl: of indemnity, he (aid, " My lords, if you do not join with me in extin" " guifhing this fear, which keeps the hearts of men awake, you keep ' " me from ptrforming my promife, which if I had not made, neither '' I nor you had been now here. I pray let us not deceive tbqfe who brought · '' or permitted us to come hither." Here is a royal declaration, and ' yet all came to nothing. The reader will judge hereafter who were rnoft to blame, the_epifcopal party, for breaking through fo many folemn vows a~teftations ; or the presbyterians, for bringing in the king without a previous treaty, and trufiing a fet of men, whom they knew to be-Their implacable_eneg1ies. I can think of no decent excufe for the former; and the befl: apology that can be made for the latter is that ~of!: of them lived long enoug_h to fee their error and heartily re~ ~nt 1t. • Jn.
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