688 King Charles Ii. 16p. ~ Proclama– tion againfl Jpreading falfe 11!WS, Gazette, N• 686. The HIS T 0 RY of the PuRITANS. VoL. Il. Thefe rapid conquells of theJrmch, opened peoples mouths again!l: the court, and raifed fuch difcontents in England, that his maje!1y was ob– liged to iffue out his proclamation, to fupprefs all unlawful and undutiful converfation, threatning a f~vere profecution of fuch who ihould fpread falfe news, or intermeddle with aftairs of !l:ate, or promote fcandal a. gainft his maje!l:y's counfellors, by their common difcourfe in coffee– houfes, or places of public Tefort. He was obliged alfo to continue the excbequer !hut up, contrary to his royal promife, and to prorogue hisparliament till next year, which he forefaw would be in a flame at their meetinO', Durillg this ·interval of parliament, the declaration qf indulgence co;– <J'bebeginning tinued in force, and the diffenters had reil:; when the prefbyterians and ofhthe n 1ze~- independents, to !hew their agreement among themfelves, as well as to c ants '"'ure fi h d .n · f 1 c · · 11. 1 'l' at Pinncrs upport t e ounnes o t 1e re1ormat10n agam1~ t 1e prevat mg errors of hall. popery, focinianifm, and infidelity, fet up a weekly leClure at Pinners-ball in Broad-Jlreet, on 'Iuifday mornings, under the encouragement of the principal merchants and tradefmen of their perfuafions in the city. Four preiliyterians were joined with two independents to preach by turns, and to give it the greater reputation the principal mini!l:ers for learning and popularity were chofen as leCturers; as Dr. Bates, Dr. Manton, Dr. Owm, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Col/ins, Jenkins, Mead, and afterwards Mr• .Aljop, Ho'we, Cole, and others; and though there were fome little mifunderilandings at their fidl: fetting out, about fome high points of Ca!vin!fin, occafioned by one of Mr. Baxter's fir!l: fermons, yet the leCture continued in this form till the year 1695, when it fplit upon the fame rock, occafioned by the reprinting Dr. Crijj/s works. The four prejbyterians removed to Salters-ball, and fet up a leCture on the fame day and hour. The two independents remained at Pinners-ball, and when there was no profpeet of an accommodation, each party filled up their numbers out of their re– fpeCl:ive denominations , and they are both fubllfting to this day. Among the puritan divines who died this year, biihop Wilkins de– Death of bp. ferves the firft place; he was born at Fawjly in Northamtonfhire, in Wilkins. the houfe of hi~ mother's father, Mr. J. Dod the decalogift, in the year Ath. Ox. 1614 and educated in Magdalen-hall under Mr. 'Tombes. He was p. 505 ' fome 'time warden of Wadham College Oiford, and afterwards mailer of of 'Trinity College ~Cambridge, of which l:e was deprived at the re– !l:oration, though he conformed. He marned a filler of the proteCtor's 0/iver Cromwell, and complied with all the changes of the late times, being, as Wood obferves, always puritanically affeCl:ed ; but for his ad– mirable abilities, and extraordinary genius, he had fcarce his equal. He was made biihop of Chejler 1668. and furely, fays Mr. Eacbard, the court could not have found out a man of greater ingenuity and capacity, ()!' of more univerfal knowledge and underftanding in all parts of polite learning.
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