662 The HISTORY of the PuRITANS. VoL. II. , Ki"g he contracred an incurable fcurvy and dropfy, which at length put an end Cb:~l: II. to his life. He was well read in the fathers an acute difputant a moll: ~ faithful paftor to a large flock under his care: and a mofl: holy pious and ex~~plary chrifl:ian. He had the greateft interefl: and influence of any mm1fter m the wefl: country, and refufed a rich bifhopric at the refio– ration. He was both charitable and hofpitable when it was in his power, and died at. length in a mofl: heavenly manner in the month of July 1667, and m the fixty fourth year of his age. The reverend Mr. Jobn Howe, his fon in law, compofed a Iatin epitaph for him, which is in– fcribcd on his tomb. t668. The kingdom was at this time full of faCl.ions and di(contents, arifing Vnhappy.fl.ate from the late calamities of fire and plague, as well as the burden of the o/ the natton. dutch war: Trade was at a ftand, and great numbers of his majefty's fubjeCl:s were both difpirited and impoverifhed by the penal laws; but that which firuck all conliderate men with a panic, was the danger of the proteftant intereft and the liberties of Europe, from the formidable progrefs of the french armies, which this very fummer over-run thefpa– nijh Flanders, and took the ftrong towns of Charleroy, Bergue, Aeth, Douay, 'Tournay, Audenard, Lijle, Courtray, Furnes, &c. which with their dependencies, were yielded in full fovereignty to France by the treaty of Aix la Chapel. The englijh court feemed unconcerned at the fiencb conquefts, till they were awakened by the clamours of the whole nation; upon this Sir William 'Temple was fent into Holland, who in a few weeks concluded a tripple alliance between England, Holland, and Sweden, which firengthened the protefl:ant interefl: while it fnbfifted; but the french miftre.lfes and money could diifolve the firongefl: bonds. ProjeEl of a In this critical fituation of affairs abroad, fame attempts were made to comprehen· quiet the minds of his majefiy's proteftant fubjects at home; for men .lj;n. began to think it high time for protefl:ants to put a fiop to the pulling :;.~;~et, P· down their neighbours houfes, when the common enemy was threatning the defl:ruCl:ion of them all ; therefore lord keeper Bridgman, lord chief jufl:ice Hale, bi[hopWilkins, Reynolds, Dr. Burton, 'Tillotfon, Stillingjleet, and others fet on foot a comprehn?fion of fuch as could be brought into the church by a few abaternents, and a toleration for the reft. But the pro– ject was blafl:ed by the court bifhops, and lord Clarendon's friends, who took the alarm, and raifed a mighty out-cry of the danger of the church. No body (fay they), knows where the demands of the preibyterians will end; the caufe of the hierarchy will be given up if any of thofe points are yielded, which have been fo much contefied; befides it is unworthy of the church to court, or even treat with her enemies, when there is fo little reafon to apprehend that we fhould gain any conliderable num– ber thereby. But to this it was replied, that the propigious increafe of popery
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