King Charles H. . 1673. ~ Bill for the eaje of pra– te.Jiant dif– [et~ters. T'be HISTORY of the PuRITANS. after he had promifed to ftand by him, he concluded the king was not to be trufied, and appeared afterwards at the head of the country party. ~he non-conformifis were now in fome hopes of a legd! toleration by parliament, for the commons refolved, nemine contradicente, that a bill b~ brougl:t in for the eafe of his majefiy's protefiant fubjeCl:s, who are ddfenters m matters of religion from the church of England. The fub– fiance of the bill was, '' r. That eafe be given to his majefiy's proteftant fubjeCl:s diifentin"' '' in matters of religion, who {hall fubfcribe the articles of the doCl:rin~ Eachard, " of the church of England, and iliall take the oaths of allegiance and P· 889. " fupremacy. 2. That the faid protef1ant fubjeCl:s be eafed from all " pains and penalties for not coming to church. 3· That the claufe in " the late aCt of uniformity, for declaring the aifent and confent, be " taken away by this bill. 4• That the (aid proteftant fubj eCl:s be " ea fed from all pains and penalties, for meeting together for performance " of any religious exercifes. 5· That every teacher fhall give notice " of the place where he intends to hold fuch his meetings to the quarter " feffions, where in open court he {hall firfl: make fuch fubfcription, " and take fuch oaths as aforefaid, and receive from thence a certificate " thereof, where all fuch proceedings fhall remain upon record. 6. " That any fuch teacher may exercife as aforefaid, until the next re– " fpeCl:ive quarter feffi ons, and no longer, in cafe he fhall not firfl: take " the oaths, and make fuch fubfcription before two of the neighbouring " jufiices of peace, and fhall firf1 give them notice of the place of his •• intended meeting, and take a certificate thereof under the faid juftices « hands, a duplicate whereof they are to return into the next quarter " feffions. 7· The doors and paifages of all houfes and pl~ces where " the faid dffenters do meet, {hall be always open and free during the " time of fnch exercife. 8, If any diifenter refufes to take the cburch " ~vardcns oatbs, he fhall then find another fit perfon, who is not a dif– ·• fenter, to execute that ofiice, and (hall pay him for it." But though 11 mij'carries. all agree.d in bringing _in a bill, there was neither. time nor unanim_iry enough 111 the houfe th rs feffions, to agree upon particulars; for accordwg to bifhop Burnet, it went no farther than a fecond reading. Mr. Each– ard fays, it was dropt in the houfe ot lords on the account of fome a– mendments, till the parliament was prorogued, but Mr.,Coke fays more truly, that it was becaufe the dead weight of bifhops joined with the king and the eaballing party againfi it. DeteCt, p. 49°; Commons adWhile this was devending, the commons addrdfed the king againf1 pa– drefs againji pi.fts and jefuit~, expreffing their great concern to fee fuch perfons ad– papifls. mitted into employments and places of great trufi and profit, and efpecially into military commands, and therefore pray, that the laws againfl: · them
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