Chap. X. 'Ibe HISTORY of the PuRITANs. the feverites which befel the non -conformiil:s in the latter part of this King . , Charles H. re1gn. 168o When the parliament met O!Jober 2 r, the commons were very warm~ in mJin taining the proteil:ant religion and the privileges of parliament. Proceedings They alferted the rights of the people to petition for the fitting of parlia- o(;Rpadtament• b f l l 'b . f h . apul, ments, and voted the ABHORRERS etrayers o t 1e 1 ert1es o t e natiOn. P· 2 68. Amon<r other grievances they complained, that the edge of the penal Eachard, laws :as turned again!l: protejlant d~fjenters, while the papi~ retnained P· 995· in a manner untouched --That the tejl a!J had little ~/fe!J becaife the papijls either by diJPerfatiom obtained from Rome, jubmitted to thofe tV/s, and held their. qjfiw themfdves; or thqfe put in their places were.f; favourable to the fame interejl, that popery itfl!f had rather gained than lqft ground by that a!J. They declared for that very ASSOCIATION, to revenge the king's death upon the papiil:s, if his majeil:y ihould happen to be aiTaffinated, which the tories had abhorred; and in the month of November revived the bill, to di.Jab!e the duke if York from inheriting the Bil of m lu– imperial crow!l of thefe rea!~zs. It was introduced by lord Rujfel, andjion brought Pa!ftd the commons by a great majority, but was thrown out of the 1~ ajecond I r: f 1 • b , . f h' . ' fi h tune, 10u1e o oras y a maJ0l'ltY o t 1rty vorces, nos 1xty t tee, yea's thirty three, the bench of bijhops being in the negative, and the king prefent during the who!e debate. It has been faid, king Charles came into Wel. Mem. the bill at firil:, the favourite miil:refs having prevailed with him to aban- P· 127. pon his brother, for a large fum of money, and for an act of parliament to enable him to difi:JOfe of the crown by will, under certain reflrictions; but a foreign popilh court offering more money, he oppofed it to the !ail:. The parliament being inclined to relieve the non-conformills, ap- dttempts for pointed a committee Nov. 18, who agreed upon a comprehe,yion with the a comprehm– di/Jenters, upon much the fame terms with thofe already mentioned; tbeyfran. were to fubfcribe the doctrinal articles of the church; the Jurplice was to be omitted, except in cathedrals and the king's chapel; the ceremonies to be left indifferent. And as for fuch proteflants as could not be comprehended within thefe terms, they were to have a toleration, and freedom from the penal fiatutes, upon condition of fubfcribing a declaration of allegiance, &c. and of afii::mbling with open doors. Biihop Burnet fays, the bill for a comprehenlioll was offered by the epifcopal party in the houfe of commons, but that the ftiends of the dilfenters did not feem forward to promote it, becaufe (as Mr. Baxter obfetves), they found the bill would not go; or if it had paiTed the commons, it would have been thrown out by the biihops in the houfe of lords ; the clergy (jays Kennet), being nofurther in earnej!:, than as they apprehended the knife if the papijls at their throats, When ,
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