Chap. V. 'Jbe HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs: bener;ces in church andjlate, it was thought necejfary to diJPo/fe.ft them; and King J" /; · h l · " " h /; h /; · h · · Charles 1I if there mujl be af"ifm, rat er to tJave zt out I?.J .' ec~urc t ~a~ Wit m 1!; 1660 . • for it had been obferved, that the half conformity of the puntans before ~ the war, had in mail: cities and corporations, occafioned a faCtion between the incumbents and leClurers, which latter had endeavoured to render themfdves popular at the expence of the hierarchy. 4· Befides, they had too much influence in the eleClion if repr~fentatives toJerve in parliamelit; therefore in11ead of ufing methods to bring them into the church (fays bi{hop Bumet), they rcfolved to feek the ~?!1: effeCtual. ~nes for p. 178, 179. cail:ing them out, Here was no generality, or fpmt of cathohc1fm, no remembrance ofpail: fervices, no compaffion for weak or prejudiced minds, but a fixed refolution to difarm their opponents at all events; fo that the enfuing conferences with the preibyterians, were no other than an amufement to keep them quiet, till they could obtain a law for their utter expulfion. The king was devoted to his pleafures, ~nd had no principles of real And of the religion; his grand defign was to lay afleep the former controverfies, and ~"'1 a;/ to unite both proteil:ant and papifl: under his government; with this view Yo;k: he fubmitted to the fcheme of the bi{hops, in hopes of making it fubfervient to a g eneral toleration; which nothing could render more neceii1ry, than having great bodies of men !hut out of the church, and put under fevere penal laws, who mufl: then be petitioners for a toleration which the legi!lature would probably grant; but it was his majefl:y's refolntion, that wbatflever jhould be granted of that fort jhould pafs in fo unlimited a manner, that papijls as well as other feClaries jhou!d be compref.en ded within it. The duke of Yo1·k and all the roman catholics were in this fcheme; they declared abfolutely againil: a compreherifion, but were very much for a general toleration, as what was neceffary for the peace of the nation, and promoting the catholic caufe. The well meaning preibyterians were all this while {hiving againil: Prelbyterians the fiream, and making interefl: with a fet of men who were now. laugh- addrefs for a ing in their fleeves at the abjeCt condition to which their egregious creduli- comprcbenfl· ty bad reduced them. They offered archbill1op Ujher's model of primi- 1{: Chron. tive epifcopacy as a plan cf accommodation; that theJurplice, the crofs p. 173. in baptifm, and kmeling at the communion, fhould be left indifferent. They were content to Jet afide the ajfembly's coife!]irm, and let the arti- K. Chron. cles of the church of England take place with fome few amendment~. p. Ig2• About the middl~ of June Mr. CalatJI)', Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Ajhe, Mr. B_axter, _Dr. .Wallzs, Dr. Manton, and Dr. Spurjlow, waited upon the kltlg, bemg mtraduced by the earl of Mancbr:Jler, to crave his majefl:y's interpofition for reconciling the differences in the church ; that the people might not be deprived of their faithful pa!l:ors: Honefl: Mr. Baxter told
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