Chap. V. The HISTORY of the PuRrl'ANs. 585 the gth of November had given the king thanks for his declaration by C King 1I their fpeaker nem. contradicente, lhould on the 28th of the [~me month h:~6~. · reject it before a fecond reading. This blafled all the expectatiOns of t~e~ prefbyterian clergy at once. It was now apparent .that the court d1d not defign the declaration fhould be carried into execution, but only fer~e as a temporary expedient to keep them quiet, till the church lhou!d be m circumO:ances to bid them defiance. While the diocifan doClors were at Prefbyteri– Rreda (fays Mr. Baxter ), they did not dream that their way to the higheO: ans in dejpair grandeur was fo fair '; then they would have been glad of th~ terms of Life, P· 28 7· the declaration of Breda; when they came in they proceeded by flow degrees, that they might feel the ground under them ; for this purpofe they propofed the declaration, which being but a temporary provifion mufi: give place to laws, but when they found the parliament and populace ripe for any thing they {bould propofe, they dropt the declaration, and all further thoughts of accommodation. The court and bil1wps were now at eafe, and went on brifkly with re- Behaviour of fioring all things to the old fl:andard; the doctrines of pa!Jive obedience the court lt· and non-refiflance were revived ; men of the highefi: principles, and moftfoops. inveterate refentments, were preferred to bi!hoprics, by which they were more than compenfated for their fufferings, by the large fums of money they railed on the renewal of leafes, which after fo long an interval were almofl: all expired; but what a fad ufe they made of their riches, I choofe rather to relate in the words of biawp Burnet than my own. " What " the bilhops did with their great fines was a pattern to all their lower '' dignitaries, who generally took more care of themfelves than of the " church; the men of fervice were loaded with many livings, and " many dignities. With this acce:ilion of wealth, there broke in upon " the church a great deal of luxury and high living, on pretence of " hofpitality ; and with this overfet of wealth, and pomp that came up- " on men in the decline of their age, they who were now growing " into old age, became lazy and negligent in all the true concerns of the " church." From this time, fays bifhop Kmnet, the prefbyterians began to prepare p. 314. for the cry of perfecution, and not without reafon, for Feb. 14, Mr. 'F_he begin· Zach. Crojton miniO:er of Aldrrate, was fent to the Tower for writing in m~~. oft~• .r r f h 0 · perJecutzon 0:1 1avour o t e covenant; where he lay a coniiderable time at great expence, th1 non-conand was at .lafi: turned out ?f his parilh without any confideration, thooJghformifls. ' he had ,a Wife and feven children, and had been very zealous for the king's Cont. Plea, refto;ation. Mr. Andrew Parfons rector of Wem in Shropjhire, a noted P· 34 ' loya.hll:, was fe~c~ed from ~is houfe in the month of December by fix: fold1ers, for fcd1t10us preachmg, and non -conformity to the ceremonies • VoL. II. . 4 F for
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