66o Tbe H 1ST 0 R Y of the PuRITANs, VoL. II. C H A P. VIII. From the banijhment of the earl of Clarendon, to the king's declaration of i1tdttlgence in the year 167 2. U P 0 N the fall of the earl of C/arendon, the difcourfe of a tolera– tion began to revive : The king in his fpeech to his parliament Feb. 1 o, has this paffage, " One thing more I hold myfelf obliged to King " recommend to you at this prefent, that is, that you would ferioufly Cha~~s II. " think of fame courfe to beget a better union and compofure in the ~" minds of my proteftant fubjects in matters of religion, whereby they King moves " may be induced not only to fubmit quietly to the government, but {;rtgen6 tol." alfo chearfully give their affill:ance to the fupport of it." Sundry a· 31 · pamphlets were publifhed upon this head ; and the duke of Buckingham being now prime minifter, the non-conformifis about London were con– nived at, and people went openly and boldly to their meetings. But the houfe of commons, who were yet influenced by the pernicious maxims 'of the late chancellor, petitioned the king to iffue out his pro– clamation, for enforcing the law~ againfi conventicles, and for pre[crv– Parliammt ing the peace of the kingdom, againfi: unlawful aifemblies of papi!ts petition to put and non-conformifl:s. Accordingly his majell:y iifued out his pro- ? pe_nal clamation, that " upon confideration of the late petition, and upon inlaws zn exe· • cution. " fo rmation that divers perfons 111 feveral parts of the realm (abufing Gaxettee, " his clemency, even while it was under confideration to find our a way Numb, 2 4 2 ·" for the better union of his prote!tant fubjeCts), have of late frequent- " ly and openly, in great numbers, and to the great dill:urbance of the « peace, held unlawful aifemblies and conventicles, his majefty declares, '' that he will not fuffc:r fuch notorious contempt of the laws to go " unpunifhed, but requires, charges, and commands all officers, to be cir– •• cumfpeB: and vigilant in their feveral jurifdietions, to enforce and put .. the laws rn execution againll: unlawful conventicles, commanding them " to take particular ca re to preferve the peace," 'Iht' ill bahaThe fufferings of the diifenters began to excite compaffion in the minds fliour of tht of the people, infomuch that their numbers vifibly increafed, partly ~ijhops and through the indulgence of the court, and the want of churches fince the cltrgy. fire of London, and partly through the poverty of the common people, who having little to lof:e, ventured to go publicly to meetings in defiance of the laws. The indolence of the eftablifhed clergy, and the diligence of the non-conform.ill: minill:ers, contributed very much to the increafe of ·-p, 253 , :~.sS. non-conformifis. Biibop Burnet fays.' " the king :vas highly offended at ~· the behaviour of moft of the bUhops.; archb1ihop She/don and Mor- - - - ley,
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